Flesh and Steel
by w01100111
Summary: A series of one-shot stories based off of the 30 Day OTP challenge. Pairing is LabrysXMakoto. Very fluffy. Rated T for romantic endeavors and potential bad language.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Yes, I, too, am someone who enthusiastically ships people and wants to write about it! This particular pairing is Makoto (as in the Persona 3 protagonist) and Labrys (the P4A character). While they've never technically interacted, I think both characters are adorable and when you put two adorable things together only good things can happen, right? I think so anyways. I feel like they go well together, though, and wanted to write about it! So why not? Doing this challenge will probably make me a better writer, don't you think so?**

**Audience: "No, you suck."**

**Haaaah, you guys are hilarious! (butdon'tactuallyhateitplease) I'm trying to be as creative as possible with the prompts, simply to improve as a writer! Some of them are going to be really fluffy and some of them are going to be more comedically centered but hopefully I do a pretty good job. Also, I tried to keep it as canon as possible, but without the whole Makoto being *SPOILER ALERT* a door. So basically everything here is the canonical story line of the Persona Franchise but without the door part! These aren't going to be in any chronological order, it just so happens that this is the couple's first romantic endeavor together. We'll get more into the super fluff next time, promise!**

**Anyways, onto writing stuff! Today's prompt is hand holding. Make sure to beat me up in the review section if I do terrible and make sure to give me hugs and love if I don't!**

**Ramble over!**

**NECESSARY DISCLAIMER: I don't own Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 4 Arena, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, or any products of Atlus or the Persona Franchise. **

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><p>The blue-haired boy with the ear phones was departing from his rather anti-climactic job with little motivation. He felt that that was how his life was progressing at present: walking with little motivation. The Shadow Operatives certainly didn't pull any punches when it came to work load, especially for Makoto; while people like Junpei and Yukari, the auxiliary squad, didn't have much work to do, people on the actual payroll had it a lot harder. Constant training from sun-up to sun-down, literal tons of paperwork weekly, all while having to actually perform field operations at least once a month, usually. Makoto didn't like to screw around, but he also wasn't really the most motivated person when it came to idle busy work. That kept him busy for most of his week, and that didn't even count the errands he had to run for Mitsuru and Akihiko on a daily basis after hours. Speaking of which, he had an errand he needed to take care of today. . .<p>

Detective Kurosawa would probably be waiting in the mall as he was so fond of doing. He guessed it was a comfortable meeting point, considering the incident 3 years ago. Paulownia Mall stood in front of him, almost completely vacant given the late hour, save the stores that stayed open this late. He was to pick up some documents, per Mitsuru's request. He walked towards the police station with a bored expression on his face, head bobbing slightly to the beat of his music. _Kurosawa should be in the ally way right over here. Hopefully I'm not too late, though._ After all, he was a lot later than he thought it'd be; he'd only just made it to the mall by nine thirty, and he wasn't sure what time he was supposed to get there. Fortunately, in the ally next to the police station stood Officer Kurosawa, just as Makoto had assumed. He had unexpected company, however; Makoto's coworker from the Shadow Operatives, an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon by the name of Labrys. It looked like Kurosawa was handing her some papers before they noticed him.

"Oh, Yuuki-san." Kurosawa bowed his head to Makoto. "What are you doing here?" He looked confused.

Makoto tilted his head. "Picking up the documents." He liked to keep his replies short. It felt better that way. He'd come a long way from how quiet he was in high school, though.

"Oh. Well, that makes this kind of awkward. . ." He glanced from me to Labrys, who looked somewhat confused. "Mitsuru told me that she would be sending Labrys instead. Something about wanting to give you a break, so. . . It looks like it wasn't necessary for you to come here." He cleared his throat awkwardly. "My apologies."

Makoto wasn't really disappointed in the development, but to say he was fine with losing an extra hour of sleep in his ridiculously tiny apartment would be a lie. Mitsuru had insisted he stay at the Shadow Operatives base, but he didn't want to. He still wanted to have some semblance of a normal life, anyways.

Also, the pay wasn't substantial enough to support Makoto's MMO addiction and the fast food restaurant by his apartment provided some extra pay so he could keep his monthly subscription fees paid.

Makoto said a short farewell and spun on his heels, walking towards the fountain in the middle of the mall. _Maybe if I'm quick enough I can make it home in time to play a quick game before I turn in. _However, his thoughts were interrupted as a familiar Kansai accent shouted: "Hey, wait up!" As he could've guessed, it was Labrys, who seemed enthusiastic to talk to him, carrying the documents in a brown leather bag at her side. She was in heavy winter-wear: a brown pea coat with an thick, matching skirt and some thigh high black stockings, along with average shoes and a pair of black gloves, and a white scarf to top it all off. It made her look like a normal girl, and fortunately the season didn't make her choice of attire look out of the ordinary in the slightest, even if Makoto knew that under those clothes were metal and parts. "Sorry 'bout that. Mitsuru said she was gonna' text ya' 'bout not comin', but it looks like she couldn't get to it."

"Not a problem." Truthfully, it was his fault. He had run the battery dry on his cell while checking video-game sub-forums to see what the latest patches looked like.

"Yeah, so, uhm, I wanted to apologize for sorta' stealin' your job, so, uh. . ." She fidgeted with her metal fingers slightly. Makoto had known Aigis for several years now, but he was still absolutely shocked at just how human Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapons could be. With the addition of a not-so-robotic tone, like the one Aigis spoke with, it was just like he was talking to a real person. He liked it. He didn't know why she was fidgeting, but he liked it. "Could we . . . I-I mean, would you like to . . . y'know. . . Do somethin' fun to, maybe, make up for it? I-I mean, I don't have to get these files to Mitsuru 'til tomorrow, so I've got time. . ." She was blushing. Makoto smiled. It was an odd feature for a weapon designed to kill shadows to have, but that was one of his favorite things about them. Their array of humane features that seem completely unnecessary was mind-boggling.

"What do you have in mind?" He asked, a slight hint of curiosity in his tone. Labrys took it as a victory and silently celebrated inside her head as she tried to play it off as cool. _This is my chance! I didn't expect him to be here, but this is a perfect opportunity! _Truthfully, she'd been planning this outing for quite some time. She'd planned on asking tomorrow, but using this opening to establish some healthy relations was probably a good idea. This way it seems far more natural.

"Uh, I dunno'. What's open this late? You've lived here longer than I have." She didn't want to sound forceful or rude, and while she had some things in mind, she would rather let Makoto decide.

"Hmm. . ." Makoto stroked his chin. "We could always do Karaoke. They stay open pretty late." To be honest, he would've liked that a lot. After all, he hadn't gone to the karaoke parlor since his high school days. Junpei always made fun of him for it as he left the dorm late at night, and Makoto had earned quite a reputation at school for his odd hobbies.

"O-Oh, yeah, that sounds fun!" She laughed far too enthusiastically, and it came across as awkward. But Makoto found it endearing.

"Alright then, follow me." He removed his earphones, hanging them around his neck as they ascended the stairs into the Karaoke parlor.

"So, Yuuki-san, are you a good singer?" Labrys asked, fidgeting nervously. _Yikes, that was a terrible idea.__ I can't even sing, why did I agree to Karaoke? _She sighed internally.

"I don't know. I've never had an outside opinion on the matter. Maybe you could tell me?" he asked, as he paid for the tickets and the room. He was actually somewhat nervous. He'd never been singing alone with a girl before, especially one who seemed to be expecting something from his performance. "And just Makoto is fine."

"U-uhm, right, Makoto-kun." She brushed her ponytail over her shoulder as the pair walked into one of the rooms, sitting down and preparing to make their selections. "So, uh, I don't really want to, so you go first, alright?"

He chuckled. She wasn't sure why until she realized she sounded terribly rude when she said that. "Uhm, uhm. . . I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sound offensive!"

"No, that wasn't it." He sat on the bench across from hers. "It was your accent."

_Dang it! I knew he wouldn't like it! _She started to apologize again before he interrupted her. "It's cute."

Those two words managed to render her almost speechless. Labrys had never received any compliment of that sort from a boy before. Well, maybe Teddie, but he didn't count. She felt her cheeks flush bright red as she turned away from him. "O-Oh. Thanks."

"Anyways, I suppose I'll go first." He scrolled through all the song selections while Labrys took a moment to stealthily observe him. She wasn't sure exactly why she had been so smitten with him; he had actually only been working for the Shadow Operatives for a few months now, at Mitsuru's request, and they'd only talked on certain occasions and some field missions. She found him . . . cool. And kind. And attractive. Albeit, his clothing choice was strange. . . Whenever he was doing anything work-related at the Shadow Operatives, he wore a Gekkoukan High uniform. Originally, Labrys had questioned it, but Mitsuru and Akihiko told her to leave the issue alone. She guessed it must've just been an old friend thing.

Makoto stood and made his way to the podium, clearing his throat, before beginning to sing.

Labrys might've been biased, but she found the performance absolutely mesmerizing. She had never heard such an emotional song in her life, and as 'Memories of You' ended she found herself almost disappointed, craving more. Makoto bowed nonchalantly and stepped down from the podium. "How'd I do?"

Labrys struggled to find the right words. "Uh, you did good. I-I mean, you did really good, like, super good! Amazing even!" She stumbled over her tongue as the words tried to come out, Makoto laughing the whole way. She could tell it was a light-hearted laugh, not something insulting, but she still felt foolish. "So, uh. . . I-I guess that means it's my turn now, huh?" She scrolled through some of the music selections, but wasn't really sure what to pick. She was putting a lot of thought into the decision, intent on impressing Makoto. But in the end, she let Makoto pick for her and simply sang to the best of her ability. He applauded every time she sang, so she thought she either did well or he was just pitying her. He insisted it was the former.

The two passed the hour in the small room rotating between singing, Makoto often managing to outshine Labrys's performance, no matter how much effort she put into it. Fortunately for her, however, Makoto never made an effort to brag and always congratulated her on a job well done. She felt flutters in her heart throughout the whole thing as these emotions she had never felt before arose within her. She knew what they were, of course, but that didn't mean she was familiar with experiencing them.

The two left the karaoke parlor even later at night than they'd anticipated; Labrys was having so much fun she didn't even notice Makoto had paid for another hour. She'd have to scold herself in the mirror later, but in the mean time they were on their way back to the base where she lived.

"Y-Y'know, you don't have to walk me home, Makoto-kun. I can make it back myself." As much as Labrys was enjoying his company, she didn't want to take advantage of him. He probably wanted to get home and sleep, after all.

"It's alright. I'm enjoying myself." He held his hands in his pockets as he usually did on their way back. Labrys wasn't really sure how to respond.

"I-It's just . . . if you're tired, I dunno . . . I'd rather you go home than force ya' to lug me around, y'know? So if you wan-"

Labrys interrupted herself as she felt a strange warmth engulf her body that she'd never felt before. She looked down towards her hand, which was now interlocked with Makoto's. Her face flushed the brightest red that she was capable of handling. She tried to open her mouth in protest, but she couldn't manage to. The small smile on Makoto's face prevented her from thinking about anything else. All that she could think about at that moment was not falling over as she walked, and the sensation of having Makoto's hand in hers. Honestly, she wasn't sure how to feel, but she knew it felt good.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, with light concern in his voice.

She finally mustered the courage to speak. "I-It's just. . . I-I-I. . ." She couldn't quite put a sentence together. She had never felt so nervous in her life. "Wh-Why?" was the only word she managed to fully form.

"I'm not sure. I just kind of felt like it." He loosened his grip slightly."If you want, I can sto-"

"No!" She shouted, interrupting him. "I-I mean. . ." She coughed. "It's nice." And thus she tightened her grip on his hand, while he reciprocated the gesture. "It's just . . ." She flexed her fingers a little. "Don't you mind?"

Of course, she was talking about her physical state. "Why would I mind? You're just like anyone else." And he meant that entirely. Never had Makoto looked at an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon and thought of it as a robot or a tool, but as a person. He didn't see the big deal about it really.

She swooned, both physically and mentally this time. This was arguably the best she had ever felt in her entire life, as if all of her parts had been replaced with helium balloons and she could just float off into the stars without a care in the world. "O-Oh," she said, completely elated.

The rest of the walk was had in silence, but it wasn't an awkward silence. It was more blissful than anything. Occasionally, Makoto would ask Labrys a simple question, to which she would reply with a simple answer, but it was nothing significant. Eventually, they made their way to the front of Labrys's "home" and it was time to say goodbye for the time being.

"That was fun, Labrys." Makoto bowed his head. "Thanks for accompanying me tonight."

"O-O'course. If you ever wanna' do it again, just ask, okay?" She said, trying to play it off as cool as possible. That was difficult, though, and Makoto yet out let another light-hearted chuckle.

Reluctantly, the two of them released each others' hands and Makoto raised his hand to wave goodbye. "Of course. See you tomorrow." With that, he turned to begin the walk home, leaving Labrys to swoon internally for the remainder of the night and well into the morning. The warm and cuddly feeling didn't go away, nor did she want it to.

For Makoto, however, his bright mood was dampened upon arriving at the train station.

The last train for the night had left the station just as he arrived.

_Dammit. Gotta' walk. _

And thus Makoto walked home, reminiscing on the events of the evening with a smile glued to his face.

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><p><strong>AN: Challenge 1, complete! Wow, that wound up a lot longer than I thought it would! Originally I was going to make it a lot simpler and just be a chapter of them discussing and stuff while holding hands, but I liked the romantic development this chapter, didn't you?**

**Audience: "No, you suck." **

**Haaaah, what a bunch of jokers! Anyways, I do think everything turned out pretty well. So review it and tell me how good I did! **

**Review if you want. Favorite if it's your favorite! And follow if you can't see very well and need something to guide you through the dark on your way back home! Or if you just wanna' read more. **

**Ramble Over! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yay, prompt two! This one is cuddling somewhere. Ooooh. Trying to keep the A/N on the shorter side this time, as all the introductions are out of the way, so remember to give hugs and love!**

**Audience: "You suck." **

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><p>Labrys walked down the street to Makoto's apartment with a literal skip in her step. After a long week of work, the two of them had a day off, which they planned to spend together. Labrys had been waiting for it for the whole week, and now that it had finally come, she couldn't be in a better mood. <em>A whole day with Makoto! <em>She was absolutely giddy. Today would be the first day she got to spend with her boyfriend in quite some time, after all, and in his apartment no less. She'd never been to his home before, so she was quite curious. The short walk felt like a marathon before she finally made it to his apartment building.

She didn't have time to wait. She rushed up the stairs as quickly as possible, managing to clear all the levels in record time without breaking a sweat. Anyone else would've taken a few minutes, but she got there within seconds. Just one of the perks of being an Anti-Shadow Suppression Weapon. It took her a few minutes to actually find Makoto's apartment, but she located it eventually. Without a second thought, she knocked on the door, letting out an enthusiastic "Hellooooo?" She absolutely couldn't wait for whatever Makoto had planned. _Surely he's put together a romantic evening. Maybe a date, or star-gazing, or karaoke again. . . Ooh, I can't wait! _He was kind of slow on answering the door, though. _What's keeping him? _

She put her ear to the door to see if she could hear anything. The only thing she noticed was a quiet curse and then the rustling and bustling of bed sheets. After several minutes of obvious preparation, Makoto answered. He'd just rolled out of bed. His hair was a mess, and his clothes were clearly just the first thing he saw in the closet as he got up. He wore a white t-shirt with a blue collar and sleeves, and a pair of black jeans with one white and one black sock on. His eyelids drooped and he looked like he could pass out any second. He topped off his sleepy look with a long, tired yawn. Labrys wasn't sure if she was capable of processing just how adorable Makoto was right now. This was a side of Makoto she'd never seen, but she sure was glad she was seeing it now.

"H-Hey," he said, clearly embarrassed. Labrys had never seen him blush before, so she made a note to take a mental picture to swoon over later. It wasn't a common occurrence, after all. "Come on in." He stepped aside and allowed her to enter, shutting the door behind the two of them.

"Thanks." Labrys looked around the small apartment in amazement at just how small it was. It was one room, with a closet. Makoto's bed was in the corner (and as she had assumed, his pajamas were rather poorly hidden underneath it) and next to it was his desk. Next to the desk sat all of his computer essentials: a laptop carrying case, cables, video-game consoles. There was a flat-screen TV on one of the walls (thanks to Mitsuru), with two chairs and a small table in front of it. It clearly didn't see as much use as the computer, a thin film of dust adorning the top of the device. On the other side of the apartment was the kitchen, with all of the basic appliances one would need to survive. It was nothing special, but with the white walls and the light blue carpet, she thought it suited Makoto rather well. "It's a nice place. It really fits ya'."

"Mmhm." He still hadn't quite shaken off his drowsy daze as he walked towards the kitchen. "I'll get us something to eat. Toast sound good?"

Labrys smiled happily. They both knew she didn't need to eat, but he clearly knew that she liked it when she was treated that way, as if she was any normal girl. That was one of the many things she loved about him; he always knew what to say and do to make her happy, even half awake. "Yeah, sure." She took a seat on his bed, pulling her boots off. "You seem tired. Everythin' alright? Try your best not to pass out, 'kay?"

Makoto not-so-casually shrugged off her comment. "I'm wide awake." He put the pieces of bread he'd been preparing into the toaster, resting his chin in his hands, elbows on the counter. She could clearly tell he was dozing off, with his eyes fluttering shut every now and then. He surely was up late last night playing some game or doing some work for Mitsuru or Akihiko. Either way, she thought it was cute. The toaster popping up startled him back into his awake state. After collecting himself, he hurriedly buttered their toast. Labrys had to watch him carefully to make sure he didn't mess up with the knife. It was just a butter knife, but she didn't think anyone would be surprised if Makoto could accidentally turn it into a lethal weapon.

"What kept you up so late?" She leaned back in the bed, resting on the palms of her hand to get more comfortable.

"Work. . ." He yawned, dropping the knife into the sink. "Mitsuru had a last minute job for me to do last night." He started to walk towards her, seemingly haven woken up a little.

"What'd you have to take care of?"

"Kikuno-san needed help with weapon maintenance." He had stayed at the base for several hours last night as the two of them tested weapons and vehicles to ensure they were in optimal condition. It wasn't so bothersome at the time, but when he got home at four in the morning and still had to type up a report about the event, it became slightly more frustrating. He hadn't gotten to bed until quite late, so he wasn't in the best mood this morning. He had thought he'd be ready to wake up early this morning, but he slept through his alarm.

"Y'know, if you wanna' go back to bed, I ain't gonna' stop you." She wanted to spend time with her boyfriend, but if it was going to make him miserable, she didn't mind postponing. "You're a real wreck there," she said, extending her hand for her plate. He sat next to her on the bed, a quiet sigh escaping him. Labrys was thoroughly enjoying herself here. "How many hours of sleep'd ya' get anyways?"

He began to count the hours on his fingers, eliciting a laugh from Labrys. "Uh. . . Two-and-a-half hours," he said, looking miserable all the while. Labrys almost felt a twang of guilt for enjoying herself, but it disappeared as she watched him childishly devour his toast. It was cute. He cleared his throat, before speaking. "I'm really sorry. . . We've had this planned for a while now, so I should've been ready-"

She interrupted him. "Oh, don't be, don't be!" She set her toast on the floor, standing up and taking his plate out of his hand to place next to hers. "It's important to get your sleep, y'know. You've gotta' get to bed sometime or you'll run yourself into the ground." She tussled up his hair and pulled down the covers for him. "C'mon. Off to bed you go. If you don't get to bed, I won't talk to you for a whole day." Labrys was thoroughly enjoying the motherly act.

He groaned. "That's not fair."

Labrys started her silent act, ignoring him as she examined her fingers.

With that, Makoto stopped complaining. He worked his way under the covers, a yawn escaping his lips. Labrys's heart did a little dance at how cute he looked. She knew she shouldn't expect this in the future, but she was enjoying it for the time being. Makoto struggled to get comfortable in the bed, eventually finding a favorable position. He pulled the covers all the way up to his face and wriggled around a bit, before patting the bed next to him. "Get in."

Labrys was a little shocked at first. Before she had even fully processed the sentence, she was blushing furiously. "W-Wait, what!?" The bold gesture completely caught her off guard.

"If I'm going back to bed, you're going to keep me company. I promised to spend this day with you after all."

"U-Uh, I don't really think that's necessary, y'know? We've only been together a few months, so. . ." She fiddled with her hands, trying to find some way to dispel the awkward situation.

Makoto made eye contact with her, an expectant and hopeful gaze across his face. That gaze had the power to melt a glacier in mere seconds. She couldn't even find a way to refuse. It's not like she wanted to, anyways.

Without the strength to protest anymore, she climbed into the bed, wrapping herself in the covers. Her face was only several inches from Makoto's. She could feel his breath every time he inhaled and exhaled, his arms wrapping around her back as he pulled her closer. The embrace filled her with a strange warmth as she awkwardly reciprocated, wrapping her hands around Makoto's neck as they lay in the bed together. For several moments, they laid there, neither saying or doing anything. Labrys stared at Makoto's face, not sure how to go about the whole "cuddling" thing.

"This is nice," he said, eyes closing slowly as he prepared to sleep.

"Y-Yeah. Nice. . ." Labrys's emotions on the matter were conflicting. While for the most part, she was happy that she could spend time with Makoto, the situation felt awkward. Especially considering. . .

"Is something wrong?" Makoto asked, as if sensing the disturbance in his girlfriend. He opened his eyes, concern on his tired face.

"I-It's just . . ." She fidgeted. "Is this really comfortable for you?" After all, Labrys was made of metal and parts, not flesh. And while her design was advanced, and very humanoid, she still felt that she might be making Makoto uncomfortable. _  
><em>

Makoto poked her nose.

Labrys calmed down almost instantly. There was no exchange of words to go alongside the gesture; it was just a simple nose poke, but for whatever reason, it conveyed exactly what he wanted to say in exactly the right way. Makoto truly was an example of "actions speaking louder than words". She understood exactly what he meant by the poke, even if it was just a childish poke. He was saying, "You're fine the way you are."

No longer nervous or afraid, Labrys fully welcomed the hug and returned it with a warm embrace of her own, the two being less than inches apart. There was no where in the world Labrys would rather be. As the two shared this warm and loving gesture, completely intertwined, Labrys could feel the warm coaxing her to sleep as she let all her worries disappear into the arms of her lover.

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><p>Labrys rubbed her eyes as she awakened, stretching her arms over her head with a light yawn. She didn't need to stretch, but she did. The first thing she noticed was the lack of Makoto in the bed next to her, so she looked around the dark room for signs of him. It turned out he wasn't that hard to find.<p>

He sat in his desk chair in a white, long-sleeve shirt and some black pajama pants. Evidently he'd changed. She blushed at the notion of him changing in the same room as her before continuing her observation. He'd brushed his hair since last she saw him, and there he sat, idly clicking about his computer with one hand on the mouse, the other resting his chin in his palm, propped up on the desk. The dim light emanating from the monitor made him look almost ghostly, combined with his pale skin and dark hair. He looked like he could disappear any second.

"What time is it?" She asked, yawning groggily. Makoto's bed was pretty comfortable. She enjoyed sleeping in it more than she thought she would. She propped herself up on her elbows to get a better look at Makoto.

"Six o'clock in the morning. We've got to get to Mitsuru's in about an hour." He once again clicked the mouth, letting out a short sigh. Labrys grew concerned.

"Hey, ya' alright?" Labrys asked.

"Yeah." It was a shorter-than-usual reply, meaning, no, he was not okay.

"You sure?" She asked, sitting up further in the bed. "You don't seem like you're in the best mood."

Makoto let out a sigh. "It's nothing, really. Just . . . tired." No matter how much he slept, he couldn't seem to shake how tired he was. He really was working himself into the ground after all. Even now he sifted through documents, confirming requests from department chairs and scheduling meetings and missions. It felt like it had been months since he slept properly, even though he'd been keeping a rather effective sleep schedule. Maybe he just couldn't handle all the stress.

Labrys pursed her lips. "C'mere. I wanna' tell you somethin'."

"Why can't you tell me from over there?" Makoto asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Just c'mere." Makoto, knowing better than to argue, approached the bed and sat down next to her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down into the bed, pulling the covers up to his neck. "Today, you are going to take a well deserved day off. The Shadow Operatives will just have to hold the fort down without you."

Makoto frowned quizzically. "We'll get in trouble."

"Shh. Don't worry 'bout it, just take a day off. I'll take care of everything." Labrys smiled radiantly, with an effect that Makoto could only properly describe as contagious. He couldn't help it. Soon he found himself with a big grin on his face as well, shifting his position to get more comfortable in the bed. _Eh, how much trouble can it be. _

"Alright. Just one day, maybe." The two of them shared a short laugh before adjusting their positions in the bed to be more comfortable. "Though you might wind up being a bad influence."

"Why, I would never!" Labrys giggled playfully and rested her head in the crook of Makoto's neck, her arms wrapped tightly around his torso.

The pair laid like that all day, sleeping and enjoying the company of their significant other. It felt as though the whole world had given them a vacation, the only things on their mind being each other.

For the first time in a long while, Makoto felt as if he'd gotten the rest he deserved.

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><p><strong>AN: Challenge Prompt 2, complete! We got to see a different side of Makoto today. Even Messiahs have to deal with the problems of the 21st century business world! So Labrys gets to comfort him through his funk. I thought it was a nice way to incorporate cuddling into the prompt, didn't you?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Man, you guys just get funnier and funnier! Anyways, favorite if it's your favorite! Follow it if it's your only lead to finding the killer of your husband/wife and you need revenge while also working as a Private Investigator in the dirty streets of (insert dirty city here). Or if you just wanna' read more.**

**Ramble over! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/M" Challenge Prompt 3! Today's prompt was a bit of a weird one. It was watching a movie OR playing a videogame, so I was like, "why not both?" So I wrote about both! Yaaay!**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Also, Blazblue references. Yay! DISCLAIMER: I don't own Blazblue. **

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><p>Two warriors locked in a deadly combat.<p>

Only one would survive. This fight would truly determine history. The loser would face a shame too great to withstand.

Labrys refused to lose.

Labrys mashed the buttons on her controller angrily, unable to escape the demonic grasp of Makoto's deadly corner combos. The youth on the screen sliced with the blade of ice in a flurry that Labrys couldn't even begin to comprehend with her limited knowledge of the game. Her character's massive size didn't make it any easier to avoid combos, either. It had been this way in every round so far. As soon as Makoto got his hands on her, she might as well have put the controller down and walked away. She truly had underestimated her boyfriend's prowess when it came to video-games. _  
><em>

"I'm sure I could beat you if we played somethin' together," she had said on Friday afternoon.

Makoto's eye twitched as this playful wound to his pride was inflicted. "I highly doubt that. I respect your talents, Labrys, but -"

"Why don't we find out?" She asked, issuing a challenge to Makoto.

"Tomorrow morning," he said, before changing the conversation topic. Both he and his girlfriend were relatively competitive, so it would surely be an interesting event.

Labrys had made the wrong decision in assuming she could beat Makoto.

Just as Makoto finished his Over Limit Combo, Labrys's character's health dropped to zero and she released a frustrated sigh. Makoto smiled a gentle smile of victory as he looked towards Labrys, tilting his head. "We can stop now if you want." He did his best to sound unoffensive.

"One more," she demanded, as she went about selecting her character and color. Her willpower was admirable. _We've played 20 games and she hasn't quit yet. You have to respect that. _This time, instead of Iron Tager, Labrys went with Azrael. He looked strong and would surely be able to defeat this "Jin". She'd never played as him before, but again, he looked strong. Wasn't that all that mattered in these kinds of game? Looking strong meant you could beat people who didn't look as strong as you! It was a simple science.

Makoto sighed and switched his character as well. He selected a young British girl named "Rachel". Labrys stifled a laugh. _This should be easy. There's no way a little girl like that can defeat someone as strong as my Azrael, even if Makoto is controlling her. _She clenched her fist in anticipation, waiting for the round to start. _I've got this in the bag! Prepare to kiss your victory goodbye! _

Yet again, unsurprisingly, Makoto was able to defeat her with absolutely no difficulty in the first round. He hadn't taken a speck of damage from Labrys, managing to keep her in the corner for the entire game. He brushed his hair out of his face, the feeling of victory somewhat hollow. Mainly because his girlfriend seemed pretty angry, staring at the screen as if she wanted to take her ax and slice it in half. To avoid her doing so, he decided to go slightly easier on her for this round.

This time he at least allowed himself to lose half his health before he completely eviscerated her Azrael.

"Wh- What the heck?" Labrys threw the controller onto the ground angrily. "C'mon, there's no way that'd happen! No one can control the wind! And what was with those little bat things?" She let out a frustrated growl. "Azrael was clearly stronger! This game is bogus!"

Makoto laughed a little at her outbursts as she continued. "Grr, let's do just one more! I know I can handle it if I just . . . pick a stronger character. . ." She was mashing the buttons on the controller furiously.

The next round was just as fruitless as the prior. Labrys was incapable of even remotely harming Makoto while they played, his play-style rather clearly defeating hers. It was clear as to why. After all, when off hours, this was pretty much all Makoto did: video-games. And he liked to be good at them. Nobody liked to lose all the time. Despite that, he still felt kind of bad for beating his girlfriend so consistently. He decided to throw his pride away for the sake of her happiness, and resolved to lose the next round.

Labrys was somewhat shocked when she saw that she won Round 2. She internally celebrated, before realizing she had one more round to play before she won the set. _Alright, I can do this! Don't fail me, Ragna the Bloodedge! _She had done rather well in the last round, managing to land up to a 4 hit combo. This time she'd shoot for 5, and bring Makoto to the ground!

Makoto, on the other hand, was barely containing his laughter. Even when he wasn't trying in the slightest, it still came right down to the wire as to whether or not Labrys would beat him, and at that point he just stopped pressing buttons entirely. He thought it was cute how she hunched over the controller, licking her lips as she pressed buttons in a furious and nonsensical fashion. Maybe one day he'd get her to actually practice this game and get kind of good, so he'd have a training partner to work with. It would be another thing they had in common, after all, so it might be nice, especially if she likes it. "So how do you like the game?"

"Shh!" Labrys was clearly concentrating as hard as she possibly could, and didn't want any distractions. He could understand it. Makoto wasn't too fond of talking during rounds either. Well, when he was actually trying. If anything, it was difficult to do this poorly when his muscle memory was screaming otherwise.

The last hit was scored as Rachel fell to the ground, Ragna the Bloodedge emerging victorious. "Yes!" Labrys shouted at the top of her lungs, before hurling the controller ridiculously hard towards the wall.

As one would expect, when a ludicrously powerful robot hurls a small plastic object at a wall, only one thing could happen.

Time seemed to slow as the controller shattered into pieces, Makoto's hard earned money falling in the form of that black plastic. He felt as if a part of him had been wounded when it broke, when in reality it was just his wallet that was wounded. Still, he felt the need for a moment of silence for his fallen comrade.

Where it connected, a dent was left in the wall. Labrys was panting furiously, as if she'd just finished an Olympic Triathlon, the look on her face worth even more than the price of the controller that she'd just broken.

Or, at least, that's what he told himself.

Well, Makoto was kind of upset that he'd have to purchase another controller now, but the satisfaction his girlfriend was experiencing was enough to distract him from it. He needed another date night idea now, though.

"Uhm. Let's do something else today, alright?"

"That's a good idea," replied Labrys.

* * *

><p>Labrys waited by the entrance to the theater as Makoto went to purchase their concessions - or, his concessions, anyways. She awkwardly poked the ground with the tip of her boot, sighing. She still felt like an idiot for her odd display of violence back in Makoto's apartment. She wanted to offer him money for a new controller, but he insisted to do it himself. She felt like she'd taken things too far and acted irresponsibly. <em>Makoto must be so mad at me. . .<em> She could barely bring herself to talk to him on the way there, despite his many attempts at conversation. She felt like an imbecile for acting the way she did.

"Hey, I've got the snacks." She looked up towards Makoto, a blush forming on her face as she did so. "Let's go inside and find seats."

"R-Right." She still could barely maintain eye contact. He locked arms with her, carrying his popcorn and drink hand as they walked into the theater. Labrys tried to calm down, her eyes glued to the ground.

The theater was pretty empty, so seats were plentiful. They got pretty nice ones, right in the middle of the theater. Makoto and Labrys eased into their seats next to each other, Makoto placing his drink in the drink holder. Labrys still felt like he would be upset with her, but he didn't seem too angry. Maybe she was worried for nothing. She leaned on his arm, watching the movie previews as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, occasionally tossing some popcorn into his mouth.

"Hey, Makoto?" She asked, poking his shoulder. He turned towards her with a quizzical expression. "A-Are . . . are you mad at me?" she asked, looking as if tears were about to form in her eyes.

Makoto's heartstrings were plucked by this expression. "No, I'm not mad. Why would I be?" He pulled his girlfriend closer. "I get to spend today with you, after all. There's nothing to be upset about." He smiled reassuringly, poking her forehead with his free hand.

Labrys let out a sigh of relief. "Good. . . I was worried that you might be mad, and that would just be the worst. . ." She sniffled an adorable sniffle, Makoto pulling her even closer.

"Don't worry, that's never gonna' happen. Anyways, the movie's starting." He pointed towards the screen as the opening credits flashed, the movie finally kicking off.

The movie in question was a pretty generic love story. Something about a girl having to choose between two men that loved her, when she couldn't decide which one she liked. Makoto wasn't a fan of romance movies, but this was the only thing showing at this time of day and tickets were half off. He was beginning to regret his decision, however, as the sappy dialogue and awkward, clearly-scripted romance scenes inched past in slow motion. Labrys seemed to be enjoying herself, though, so in the end he had no complaints.

Labrys, on the other hand, was completely enticed with the movie. It was her first time seeing one, of course, so it's only natural that she wouldn't have had any higher standards. She watched the movie with suspense, her own emotions melding with those of the characters, truly understanding their superficial plight. It reminded Makoto of a little girl watching her favorite anime, pretending to be supporting the protagonist as they cried out encouragements. Occasionally, Labrys couldn't stop herself and gave out romantic advice like "Don't give up!" or "He's the one!" She gripped Makoto tighter during all of the suspenseful scenes, which of course, he didn't complain about.

One particular scene grabbed her and didn't let go, though. The main heroine had finally decided which man she wanted to be with, and the two shared an emotional moment on a park bench. After a long, romantic monologue of suffering and love, the two shared a sweet, passionate kiss.

Labrys wasn't sure how to comprehend that. She'd never seen one before. She knew what it was, but she'd never seen it. The action on screen looked so bizarre, but for some reason, she felt some insatiable desire upon seeing it. She poked her lips with her fingers, and looked around the theater. Anyone and everyone in the theater was with some kind of significant other, performing the same action as the one seen on screen. She stared at the rest of the crowd for a few moments before diverting her attention back to the screen, the kiss still continuing. She felt her cheeks flush as nervousness flooded her body. This time, she looked to Makoto, examining his lips.

They looked soft, like the man in the movie's. She was sure. . .

"Labrys? Is something the matter?" Makoto whispered, breaking her out of her trance.

"N-Nope! Nothin's wrong!" She laughed an awkward, breathy laugh before turning away and back to the screen, her heart jumping into her throat. This was a nervousness she'd never felt before, as if her entire life and existence depended on these feelings. If she didn't satisfy this urge, she felt as if she would disappear.

Long after the scene had ended, Labrys was still thinking about the action on screen. She couldn't focus on the rest of the movie, her mind always returning to the kiss. She would replace the characters in the movie with her and Makoto, replaying the scene again and again. It filled her with a warmth she didn't possess the knowledge to describe.

"Labrys, movie's over." She'd been so focused on her own thoughts that she didn't notice the rest of the theater was empty. Makoto sat next to her, and as she turned to look at him she noticed his face was extremely close to hers.

She rapidly stood up, turning away. "Right, right," she said, laughing awkwardly. "Let's, uh, let's go home, yeah?" She started walking towards the exit without a second's hesitation, Makoto barely managing to keep up.

Once again, she brought a finger to her lips, not sure what to feel. Makoto walked out after her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "What'd you think?"

She turned her face to the ground, blushing bright red. "I-It was nice. But only because . . . I-I got to watch it with you, Makoto." The shame she felt from saying that sentence overwhelmed her in a second, her face brightening even further.

Makoto chuckled. "Well, it's kind of late. Do you want me to walk you home?"

Labrys simply nodded.

* * *

><p>Makoto sat in his apartment, clicking about his computer as usual. He was surprised to find that Mitsuru hadn't assigned him fifty job reports to type up, so if anything, he was bored. He could play something, but he wasn't quite in the mood. So he awkwardly clicked about sub-forums, looking for something to do. Nothing managed to interest him, even after checking the same set of forums three or four times.<p>

He decided to check his phone, out of simple boredom, and to his surprise, it went off as he grabbed it.

The message was from Labrys. "Hi Makoto （＾_＾）I wanted to know what the movie we watched today was called? Txt back!" He chuckled slightly at the unnecessary emoji. Junpei must be teaching her how to text. Or maybe she just thought it made her seem more human. Eh. It was cute.

He texted back the reply, receiving an answer immediately. "Thanks!" was all it said. He shut his phone's power off and set it aside, looking at the time on his monitor.

"Yikes. Ten," he said aloud, standing from his chair. "Might as well turn in early tonight." He pulled his slippers off, before laying in the bed. Staying up late wasn't always the best idea, anyway.

Meanwhile, Labrys had just purchased a copy of the movie they had watched that day. For study purposes.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Challenge 3, complete! Yay. I hope you liked this one! It sort of jumped between segments but I think it worked out nicely in the end. Favorite if it's your favorite! Leave a review if you want to. And follow if you're playing an intense game of following-the-leader and it's imperative to your survival and victory that you follow every minute move that my story makes.**

**Or if you just wanna' read more. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: It's time for challenge 3! This prompt is going on a date. And I had so many ideas for this prompt that it wound up being pretty long! Like, much longer than the other chapters! I think I'm going to include chapters like this with a bunch of content that are really long every now and then. Everyone likes things longer!**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Please enjoy the story, and if it's too long for you, please complain about it so I know not to make them long again. Hopefully you like it! **

* * *

><p>Makoto stood outside the flower shop, hands in his pockets with his music playing as usual. He patiently waited for the woman to approach with the flowers he'd ordered, tapping his foot patiently. It wasn't a very busy day. In fact, there wasn't a person in sight other than the employees of the flower shop and some police officers by the train station. Though, it made sense on a day like this. "That'll be fifteen-hundred Yen," called the woman, as she approached with his bouquet.<p>

He snapped out of his thoughts, fishing his wallet out of his pocket to pay the woman. She handed him the flowers in a plastic wrapping, the red roses giving off a gentle scent that Makoto could only describe as "nice". They were kind of cheap, but they still looked pretty nice for the price he paid. The roses were relatively simple, but he couldn't think of a flower more generically romantic, nor had he ever asked Labrys what kind she liked. He assumed roses would have to do. He didn't know much about flowers, anyways, so at least he had put his best effort in. As the woman walked back into the store, she called out to Makoto. "Take care of these little guys. In this kind of weather, I don't know how long they'll last."

It was true that the weather was kind of harsh. Makoto looked around the station, the ground coated by a thick layer of snow. This morning, he and everyone else had woken up to a surprising overnight snowstorm. Makoto hadn't seen snow in quite some time, so it made him happy to see so much of it so unexpectedly. If it stuck around, he'd have to get all the ex-members of SEES together for a day in the snow. He returned his attention to the woman from the flower shop. "Thank you for your service," he said, as he bowed his head respectfully. As she wished him well, he turned and left the plaza, trudging through the snow with the bouquet in hand. He had plans for a wonderful evening.

* * *

><p>Labrys stared at herself in the mirror for the thirtieth time that morning. Today was a very important day, after all. She had to look her absolute best. Every single time she changed, she managed to find a tiny thing wrong with her appearance that she had to fix. She'd done her hair at least thirty times at this point, never totally satisfied with how it turned out. Normally, she didn't try too hard to look nice, but she really wanted to impress Makoto tonight. So she spent all of her earnings on nice clothes and even borrowed some from her friends to make sure she looked amazing.<p>

She was wearing a white dress that fell to her knees, with a gray sweater to cover her shoulders and arms. She wore her usual gloves and black leggings, along with a pair of black boots she was borrowing from Yukari. She groaned as she twirled in the mirror, now deciding she was upset with the gray sweater. She exchanged it for a black one to match her boots, making the white dress look even brighter. Still, something didn't feel quite right. . .

Her phone buzzed. "Labrys stop complaining u look perfect! He'll luv it (/^▽^)/" was the message that she received. It was from Yukari, her fashion consultant, who insisted she looked perfect just about every time Labrys asked, no matter what she was wearing. After Labrys had accidentally mentioned she had a date that night, Yukari hadn't stopped bugging her about it. Not that Labrys minded or anything; Yukari had an excellent fashion sense, so it was nice to have her on board. Her input was quite valuable.

Labrys sighed, before sending a message back. "You think so?"

"I no so (^_−) " she replied. Labrys let out a sigh of relief as she tied her hair up. "Who's the lucky guy? " Yukari texted.

"It's a secret!" was the only the reply she received as Labrys headed out of the room.

* * *

><p>Makoto was walking towards the predetermined meeting place, a light hop in his step. To a random bystander, he looked like his regular, quiet self, not happy in the slightest. But anyone who knew him would know he looked absolutely ecstatic, as if Christmas had come early and lasted for a whole month. The atmosphere was perfect, the girl was perfect, the night was perfect. He was dressed in his best blue coat, with some plain black pants and a blue scarf to match. In one hand he held his MP3 player, and in the other he held the flowers he'd bought earlier. Junpei had suggested he buy chocolates, but knowing the girl on the other end, that wouldn't have gone over too well.<p>

Labrys, too, walked towards the station where they were to meet. However, her happiness was far more evident as she skipped down the street, humming a jolly tune. While walking in the snow in high-heel boots was a challenge, it paled in comparison to her excitement. It could have been the simplest date in the entire world and Labrys would still be excited. It was her first date with the man of her dreams, how could she not be excited? Nothing could possibly go wrong. _This is gonna' be the best night ever! _

Makoto stood on the street corner, taking sweeping glances of the area to see if Labrys was approaching. He let out a deep sigh, scrolling through the messages on his phone. She was ten minutes late. He didn't mind waiting, he just wanted to make sure he was at the right place at the right time. After all, believe it or not, this was Makoto's first time asking a girl out. He wasn't experienced with this kind of thing. He was pretty sure the guy was supposed to be early, so he'd gotten there five minutes beforehand, but she was no where to be seen. Just to be safe, he checked the time again. _Did I get the time right? Or maybe the location was wrong. . . _Once again, he checked his text messages. He was in the right place, at the right time. So where was she?

His worries were for naught. After several more minutes, Labrys arrived, running as fast as she could manage in the high heeled boots and dress.

Makoto had to check his eyes to make sure what he was seeing was real. The mechanical maiden walked towards him, shining radiantly as she approached. Her smile was to-die-for. In that single moment, Makoto felt as if he could stare at her for hours. She pulled off the elegant appearance in a way he'd never seen before. If he could define something as perfect, this is probably the first thing that would come to mind. She truly was perfect.

"Hey!" she said, arriving at his side. "Sorry I'm late! It took longer to get ready than I thought," she said with a giggle that could move a mountain if it asked nicely.

"No problem. I just got here," he said, lying. After a deep sigh of relief, he locked arms with his new girlfriend and smiled. "I'm really glad we could do this."

Labrys smiled back. "Me too." While on the outside, she appeared confident, she was freaking out inside. This was the single most nerve racking event of her entire life. Or, at least, she felt so anyways. Her entire relationship could be determined by her performance tonight, so she wanted to be as perfect as possible.

"I got you these." He held the flowers out towards her, hoping the bouquet was to her liking. The roses weren't anything special, only a small amount of his weekly finances, but the look on Labrys's face was something he couldn't summarize with words. He expected her to like them, but he didn't expect them to go over quite _this _well.

She was ecstatic to receive such a wonderful present. It wasn't much, but to her, this was the first present of this kind she'd ever received in her life. She brought them to her nose and inhaled, the fragrance of the flowers astounding her. She couldn't even guess how much they costed. She assumed a lot. "Oh, this is amazing! Makoto, you really didn't have to get me something like this. . ." She embraced him, arms wrapped tightly around his back.

"Uh- No, it really wasn't a problem. . . This was the least I could do for a girl as amazing as you."

It took Makoto all that he had in him to say that without sounding like a complete and total idiot. Often, the things that went over as "smooth" in the movies and Rom-Coms came out as "cheesy, sappy and pathetic" in the real world. But as long as he was telling the truth, he didn't mind. He did think she was amazing.

Fortunately, she didn't think of his comment as cheesy, sappy, or pathetic. She blushed furiously, burying her face into his chest as they shared the tender embrace. "I-I think you're amazin', too." Her cheeks grew over brighter as she tried to calm down, but it just wasn't possible. Makoto twisted her emotions up and made her all nervous. But it was a nice kind of twisted up and nervous. She was in love.

After several moments of tender silence, the pair finally separated. "So, what'd ya' have in mind, Makoto?" asked Labrys as the pair walked down the path.

"Well. . ." He looked around, the snow encasing everything. "I just thought we could take a nice walk. The night is perfect, after all. I wanted to do something more exciting, but with the snow and everything. . ."

Labrys nodded a few times. "The snow's amazing. . . I've never seen anythin' like it before. So white, so beautiful. . ." She leaned down and picked some up, playing with it in her glove. "So soft. . ." She giggled a little, flicking some onto Makoto's nose. "And cold, too."

He laughed, wiping it off with his hand. "Yeah, a little. So what do you say?"

She nodded once more. "I think that sounds fun. Shall we?"

Makoto nodded as well. "Of course." Without further adieu, the couple marched on into the night.

"Where should we go first?" Labrys asked. "You know all the sight-seein' spots."

"I was thinking Naganaki Shrine. It's always beautiful this time of night, and with the snow it should be even better."

"Oh, alright. Let's go the-" Labrys interrupted herself mid sentence as she stumbled forwards, tripping over her boots.

Makoto caught her just in time. He didn't need her clothes getting snowy and wet or anything, so he snagged her in his arms on her way down. It was a graceful movement, whether he intended for it to be or not. Their faces were only several inches apart.

Labrys blushed immediately, pulling herself up as fast as possible. "U-Uhm, thanks!" she stuttered out, barely able to speak. She regained her footing, cursing the shoes she was wearing. "These boots are impossible to walk in," she said, laughing awkwardly. It was true that the heels were kind of high and they looked uncomfortable to wear. "Y'see, I borrowed 'em from Yukari, 'cause I thought you'd like 'em. . ." Now she was rambling her reasonings.

"They look nice. But you'd look nice in anything you wear."

Again, Makoto took a gamble on the awkwardly romantic line. He was the kind of person with the sort of charm that it just worked out for. He thanked his high school years for his ability to express his emotions so well without coming across as an imbecile. The late night karaoke sessions helped.

Labrys once again blushed awkwardly at his comment. "Oh, stop. . . You're just sayin' that. . ." She felt her heart tingle a little every time he said something along the lines of a compliment. It made her feel nice.

They continued down the roads towards the shrine, arms locked together tightly. All Labrys could think about was the person to her left, fascinated with everything about him. She wanted to know if he felt the same way that she did. This date was all his idea, but still, she was nervous that he wouldn't feel the same way. If he didn't, she wouldn't know what to do. But, at least, it _seemed _like he liked her. . . She giggled a little, her happiness overflowing from inside.

"In a good mood?" asked Makoto, looking down towards her. The small flakes of snow in her hair made her even more attractive.

"Yeah, guess so. I'm just really happy right now. . ." She rested her head against his shoulder as the two trekked through the snow, leaving a path that Labrys would always remember.

* * *

><p>The snow truly painted the shrine in a different light. Everything looked even more surreal and ancient than it usually did, as if it was untouched by time and nature. Just walking around in such an environment was a remarkable experience. "Isn't it just wonderful?" Labrys tugged Makoto closer to her, pointing towards the main shrine. "The snow makes everything so beautiful. . ."<p>

He chuckled at her amazement. Labrys had never seen snow before, so she was truly fascinated. Makoto found that amazement and fascination adorable. She got cuter every time a word came out of her mouth. "Yeah, the snow's great. We'll have to share it with everyone else sometime."

"Yup! Definitely!" Labrys smiled happily at the thought of sharing these memories with Makoto and everyone else. "I'll see if Yukari and everyone else aren't busy tomorrow. Maybe we can come back!"

Makoto didn't really mean that soon, but he wouldn't be the first to complain about taking a day off from work to play in the snow.

Hand in hand, the two participated in idle conversation, sitting on a bench within the shrine. Labrys asked Makoto all kinds of questions about his hobbies, his favorite things, his friends. . . He was fun to talk to. Occasionally, he'd put the moves on and make a witty romantic comment, leaving Labrys blushing and speechless, struggling to compliment him back. It was a nice pattern of conversation, with the shrine setting the perfect backdrop for a perfect date.

However, Makoto twitched as he heard some rustling in the bushes by the playground. He ignored it the first time, until it came once again, this time louder than before. Labrys noticed his concerned expression as he became more cautious. "M-Makoto? Is something wrong?" She looked towards the bushes, too, squinting to see if she could get a better look at what was going on.

"Fire!" Shouted the voice of a young boy as a bombardment of snowballs approached the couple.

"Eek!" shouted Labrys, raising her hands to prevent herself from getting too harmed by the snowballs. She grumbled, and turned to Makoto. She was about to complain, but then she saw that Makoto had been nailed directly in the head by one, the snow decorating his hair now. Labrys couldn't help but laugh.

The army of children (more like three or four of them) climbed on top of the jungle gym, shouting with celebration. "Ahah! We won!" shouted one of the girls as she high-fived her friend. The boys also celebrated, performing some childish hand shakes. "The grown-ups can't beat us!"

Labrys and Makoto shared a glance, before laughing playfully. They must've looked ridiculous. Makoto's hair was growing damper by the second, the snow collected within his scarf. Labrys brushed some out of his hair, eliciting yet another laugh from him. Their playfulness caught the children off guard. "Y-You're not mad?. . ." asked the other girl, walking towards Labrys.

"No, o'course not," she said, rubbing the girl's head. "I would be, but since you nailed Makoto here right in the noggin, I can forgive ya'." The girl looked up to her with a bright smile before running back to her friends, pointing towards the couple. "They're cute," she said, resting her head on Makoto's arm once again.

"Yeah. They remind me of someone I used to play with at this shrine."

"Aw, Makoto, I didn't know you were good with kids." She smiled, teasing him. "You're such a softy."

"Guess so," he replied, laughing quietly. Some fond memories resurfaced before he was brought back into the moment by one of the boys approaching them, shortly followed by his three friends.

"Uh, hey." He said. "I know you're grown-ups and all, but . . . Uh. . ." He looked back at his friends, requesting confirmation. "We thought maybe . . . maybe you'd wanna' play with us?"

Makoto looked towards Labrys, requesting confirmation. She smiled, before hopping up from the bench, leaving her flowers where she was sitting. "Alright, but we're not gonna' go easy on you. Us grown-ups are strong!" A cry of "oohs" and "ahs" erupted from the children. They whispered compliments, like "This lady's so cool!" and "Wow, she's so pretty!"

Makoto also got off the bench, not greeted as enthusiastically as Labrys was. "So what do you kids want to do first?" he asked, looking around the shrine.

"Snowman! Snowman!" they chanted enthusiastically. Labrys joined in the chants a little while later, so he nodded. "Alright. Snowman it is."

A cry of joy filled his ears briefly as the kids set about collecting the snow. Makoto and Labrys did most of the heavy lifting, making the large parts of the torso, but the kids took care of finding all the little ornaments for them. As Makoto rolled the ball up, the other boys followed him around, shouting morale-boosting comments about how good he was at making snowmen. _They're pretty cute. _Labrys had her own cheerleaders as well, the girls chanting her name as she made the snowman's middle torso. Labrys and Makoto exchanged a glance as they worked, warm, radiant smiles across both of their faces. These smiles communicated the pure joy and happiness they were experiencing.

"Yeah, Yuuki-san is the best! He's gonna' make the best snowman ever!" shouted one of the boys behind him as the lower body of the snowman was finished. The two boys high-fived, before high-fiving Makoto as well.

"Nuh-uh!" shouted one of the girls as Labrys approached with the smaller upper torso. "Labrys-san is gonna' make the snowman look way better!" Makoto helped her hoist the big ball of snow on top of his, the snowman now just about done. All they needed was a head.

"Boys." Makoto kneeled down before them, as if having a group huddle. He whispered some instructions to them about making the head and then shooed them off as they went to gather snow, laughing playfully.

Makoto took a seat on the bench next to the flowers, watching Labrys play with the girls. Every time he thought she couldn't get any more beautiful, something would come along and disprove his beliefs. With the girls looking up to her with admiration, her smiling more brightly than all the stars in the sky, she was a sight to see. Makoto couldn't even pry his eyes away for a second, as if scared she would disappear if he didn't provide her with his undivided attention. She noticed his stares and waved to him, beckoning him towards her. The girls looked over as well and repeated the gesture. He stood to see what they wanted, and walked over.

Labrys held her hands behind her back as Makoto walked towards her. "Yes?" he asked, just as he arrived by the girls. They were giggling madly.

"C'mere. I wanna' tell you something." Labrys leaned towards him, glancing around as if she had a secret.

He leaned towards her.

"Closer."

He leaned further towards her.

"Closer!"

He leaned as far towards her as he could without falling over.

"Now close your eyes. . ." She leaned further towards him, stifling a giggle. He did as she suggested.

"Now!" Labrys shouted, as she took her hands out from behind her back. He opened his eyes as his vision went white. Something soft and cold collided with his face, before hitting him from all angles.

Of course. He'd fallen right into their trap. It was clearly an ambush from the start. The snow came from all directions, chilling him to the bone.. The girls laughed madly, exchanging high fives and hugs. "Labrys-san is the best!" Makoto fell to the ground from the sheer quantity of snow they'd hit him with. Or maybe it was just the force Labrys could throw with. Either way, it left him in a bit of a daze.

"Yuuki-san!" shouted one of the boys, running over to his side. "Did they get you!?"

The other one picked up a ball of snow and threw it towards Labrys, hitting her square in the stomach. She giggled, ordering the girls to retreat. "Don't worry, Yuuki-san, we'll avenge you!" The two boys stood up, dusting their hands off as they gathered artillery.

Makoto laughed as he sat up, brushing some snow out of his face.

This meant war.

* * *

><p>The girls had been severely beaten by the boys, thanks to Makoto's strategic planning. Labrys gave him a run for his money, but he had three years of combat experience; whether it was snowballs or shadows, he wasn't going to be beaten that easily. While one of the boys suffered a casualty (in the form of a snowball to the leg), Makoto and his companions had defeated the girls. The hardships were all worth it when Makoto saw the looks on their faces. The two males cheered ecstatically when Labrys issued her official surrender. The girls weren't too happy about it at first, but Labrys motivated them to accept the loss and do better next time. She shot a playful wink to Makoto.<p>

It was more threatening than anything, actually. He was horrified by that expression. "We'll get 'im next time," she said, as the girls shouted loudly. Even when she was intimidating she was cute.

After the brief Snowball War of Naganaki Shrine, construction of the snowman was back in motion. The boys had made a rather wonderful head, giving it a pair of earmuffs and a nice face, all topped off by a piece of reed in his mouth. He looked fantastic, but he was missing . . . something.

"He's all white!" shouted one of the girls. "He needs s'more color, don't you think, Labrys-san?"

"Yeah, Labrys-san, don't you think?"

Those girls looked up to Labrys much like the boys looked up to Makoto. It was adorable, though he couldn't tell which was more adorable: the girls or Labrys. He settled for the latter.

"Hmm. . ." Makoto snapped his fingers as he had an idea. He pulled his scarf off and wrapped it around the neck of their snowman, solving their problem.

"Leave it to Yuuki-san!" One of his new friends gave him a high-five as they all backed away from the snowman. "Now we've just got to give it a name!"

"Ryoji." Makoto didn't know why he picked it. Maybe it was the scarf.

It was definitely the scarf.

"Ryoji! Yeah!" All the children chanted the name Makoto suggested over and over again, dancing around it. "He's the best snowman ever!"

"Hey, Yuuki-san!" One of the girls walked towards him with a tiny camera phone in her hands. "Uhm, could you . . . take our picture with Labrys-san and Ryoji?" She held the phone out towards him, eyes glittering.

"Of course." He rubbed her head and the boys and girls all gathered around Labrys as he snapped the picture, everyone smiling. After he took a picture for them, he took a picture for himself.

He wanted to remember this night with Labrys forever.

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><p>The kids left the park, yawning drowsily. It was pretty late after all, and they were playing hard. Makoto and Labrys sat on the bench, snuggled up against each other. The night was now silent and peaceful, snow already falling and filling in the battle scars of their snow war. Despite how cold it was, the couple felt perfectly warm, heated from the inside by the warmth from each other.<p>

"Thanks a bunch, Makoto. That was a lot of fun. . ." She snuggled up against him. "The kids really liked you."

"Not as much as they liked you. I'm glad you had fun." He poked her nose and she smiled, blushing a little. He stood up, looking into the snowy sky. "It's kind of late. We should probably start getting home, or we're gonna' hate work tomorrow."

She laughed, hopping up off the bench with flowers in hand. "Don't pretend you go to sleep earlier than this every night." Her laughter was infectious, eliciting a laugh from Makoto as well. "Walk me home?" she asked in a playful tone that no sane man could refuse.

Makoto nodded, linking arms with her for the umpteenth time that night. And so the couple left the shrine, arm in arm, talking and laughing about the events of that night and those before. It was as if, in those moments, the entire world revolved around them.

They stopped in front of the entrance to Labrys's abode, finally separating from one another. Labrys sniffed her flowers again, feeling totally elated. "Thanks again for the date tonight, Makoto. It was the most amazing night ever."

"It was only amazing because you were there." She laughed a playful laugh, a light blush forming on her cheeks.

"You really are perfect, y'know that, Makoto? No wonder ya' make so many friends." She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Uhm. . ."

"Yes?" he asked, tapping his foot in the snow. The light crunching underneath him echoed throughout the silence as Labrys prepared to ask the question she'd been meaning to ask for a while now.

"So this makes us . . . a couple, right? A permanent couple? Boyfriend and girlfriend?" She fiddled with her index finger as she asked the question, as if nervous about the outcome.

Makoto's answer was short and simple, as he liked them: "Of course."

Labrys practically had steam flowing out of her ears as Makoto answered the question. This was the answer she'd wanted, but it wasn't the answer she was expecting. She awkwardly stepped backwards, almost tripping over her own feet. "A-alright. . . That's great!" She smiled brightly at him, waving with her free hand. He waved back at her.

"Goodnight, Labrys."

"Night, Makoto!" She turned around, starting to walk into the building. She stopped before fully entering, though, and turned towards Makoto one last time. "H-Hey, Makoto?"

"Yes?" he asked yet again.

"I-I . . . l. . ." She muttered something quietly, not sure how to say it.

"I love you too, Labrys."

She didn't say anything else, simply turning around to walk inside. She tripped on her way back in this time, but she didn't care. He felt the same way she did, and that was all she needed.

That night was, in every sense of the word, absolutely perfect in every way.

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><p><strong>AN: Challenge 4, complete! Like I said, that one was really long. I think it turned out pretty well, even with the kids and stuff. It was still pretty fluffy, don't you think? I thought the fluff was great. **

**Audience: "You suck."**

**You guys are the best! Anyways, see you tomorrow! Tomorrow's prompt is kissing. Woo, getting hot in here! Favorite if I'm your favorite (you know I am, ladies. And dudes too. I don't discriminate). Follow if this story is an abandoned road in the woods and your curiosity gets the better of you and you absolutely can't help but follow it! Don't get lost!**

**Or if you just wanna' read more. **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Challenge 5, gogogogogogo! Also, Happy Halloween to all my six loyal readers! I really appreciate all you guys who post reviews and who have followed, so keep up the good work of making me not hate myself! Thanks to you guys, I only kinda' dislike myself!**

**Just kidding. I love me. And you. so much. soooo much.**

**Audience: "You suck." **

**Anyways, to commemorate Halloween, I wrote a short Halloween story starring me in the A/N! I hope you like it.**

**w01100111: "Wow, loyal readers! Thank you so much for reading my stories! To reward you, I took a picture of my face. Please look at it!"**

**w01100111 was SO ugly, that everyone died. The end.**

**Wasn't that great? Anyways, today's prompt was kissing. I had fun writing this one because hey, kissing. Writing about a robot and her human boyfriend makes kissing pretty interesting. I hope you have fun reading it! Even though it won't be HALF as good as my Halloween short. Duhhhh. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p>The movie ended for the third time as Labrys leaned back in the chair, letting out a deep sigh. She wasn't watching the whole thing, just one scene in particular. Once again, she watched the couple embrace and kiss, the strange warmth she felt that day returning. Labrys couldn't really explain why she kept watching that one scene, she just . . . felt like it. She knew why she felt like it, though she wouldn't admit it to herself, more out of fear than anything else. Still, watching it happen on screen was a sort of consolation to her. <em>Maybe one day, Makoto and I will. . .<em>

She didn't finish the thought, blushing and letting out a squeal as she flopped further back onto the chair, hands on her cheeks. "What am I thinking?" she asked herself, standing. She pressed the power button on the remote and paced about the room, twirling her hair as she fantasized._  
><em>

_"Oh, Labrys. . . I love you so much." Makoto held her in her arms, drawing her face closer._

_"M-Makoto. . . Stop, we shouldn't. . ." His face was now as close to hers as it could be without touching her. His eyes were focused on a particular part of her face._

_"But. . ." He didn't finish. As he pulled her even closer, their lips. . . _

Labrys let out an excited squeal, blushing furiously. _Stop it, stop it, stop it! _Her cheeks were usually never this red unless she was actually in Makoto's presence, but at this point, just thinking about him made her feel nervous. _That'll probably never happen. . ._

She sighed to calm herself down. She pulled her phone out of her bag to check for any messages from friends, trying to pull her mind away from things.

It had been a few days since Makoto and Labrys watched that movie. The emotions she felt during it still hadn't quite completely left, and when the movie arrived on her doorstep, all those feelings of warmth and nervousness came back. She'd been watching it all morning, convincing herself it was to calm her down, but all it managed to do was spark her fantasies even further. It didn't help that the holiday season was around, so romance was in the air. Every time she read the news or talked to a friend, they mentioned something that caused her to blush furiously, Makoto filling her thoughts. He was all she could think about most of the time. She didn't mind, but she wished she could calm down about this whole "kissing" thing. . .

After all, she was a robot. She was an Anti-Shadow Suppression Unit, Makoto would never kiss her, right?

But then again, he did say he loved her. . . And they've been dating for a little while, now. . .

But there's no way. She's made of metal! He wouldn't even consider it.

_Oh, I just don't know what to think. . ._ She groaned, opening the messages on her phone.

There were a few in there. One of them was from Yukari, just asking what she was up to. Junpei had sent a text about getting everyone together this weekend to watch the team he coached at their game on Saturday. Akihiko, as usual, had texted everyone their new weekly training schedule and their necessary daily dosages of protein. Come to think of it, everyone in the Shadow Operatives was pretty fond of their phones. E-mailing Mitsuru to get her attention was far less reliable than actually texting her, and Labrys didn't even know Akihiko's e-mail address. Junpei and Yukari never checked theirs, and Ken was usually too busy with schoolwork to talk anyways. Aigis hardly knew how to use her phone, but she was usually around, so it wasn't hard to get in touch with her. Makoto checked his pretty frequently, but that was only because he was always on a computer. With all these friends feeding her addiction, Labrys had gotten pretty fond of texting rather quickly.

There was one more message in there, causing her heart to jump into her throat. It was from Makoto. "Hey, Makoto here. Kinda' bored. Wanna' come over and hang out after work? I'll make dinner."

Labrys always admired the way he texted. Everyone else she knew (even Mitsuru, probably at Yukari's insistence) texted with emoticons and silly abbreviations. It was endearing, but kind of silly at times. Makoto always seemed super serious with his. It was attractive. She hurriedly texted back her reply. "Sure! I can't wait." She contemplated sending a winky-smiley face, but that seemed like it would make her look childish. She blushed, deciding against it. "Your place, right?"

"Of course. See you there. Love you."

Labrys always freaked out a little when he texted "I love you" or something along the lines. She awkwardly texted back "Love you too!", putting a lot of effort into it to make it sound as casual yet heartfelt as possible. She really did kind of over-think something as simple as texting.

"After work" probably meant as soon as Makoto was done sitting in his office chair, filing paperwork for Mitsuru and occasionally playing a round of trash-bin basketball with Akihiko. Labrys was technically on the job, too, but just being there, ready to respond whenever necessary and occasionally doing favors for Fuuka and the rest of the technology department, was her job. That was pretty much all she and Aigis had to do, and they got a free room in the base, so it was a pretty nice gig. She liked it. Makoto got off at around six, so she'd meet up with him on his way out. _Alright, I have time to watch it just once more. . ._ She sat down in her chair and booted up the DVD player for the 4th time that day.

* * *

><p>"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting!" Labrys ran towards Makoto, who turned around, pulling his earphones off as she approached. She gave him a quick hug before stepping back, smiling warmly.<p>

"No problem." He took her hand in his and patted the top of her head in a strange fashion that Labrys found comforting. She looked up towards Makoto, staring at him intensely, the red reaching her cheeks already. His gentle smile and warm eyes seemed to draw her in, as if just asking for her to love them. It was the most compelling thing ever. Her gaze shifted to his lips, so she turned away quickly before she embarrassed herself. He laughed a little internally, starting to walk, leading her with his hand. "What do you want to do tonight?"

She looked up towards him, still not having fully calmed down. "I-I dunno, it was your idea." She laughed a little. "You can pick."

He put a finger on his chin, putting on a thoughtful expression. "Well, video-games are out. . ." Labrys briefly turned away with embarrassment as she remembered what she'd done to Makoto's second controller. He still hadn't bought a new one yet. He continued. "Anything you wanna' watch?"

"Uhm. . ." She couldn't think of any movies that Makoto owned that she wanted to watch. Truthfully, she was happy with any way she could spend time with him. Saying that would make her seem pretty pathetic, though, so she tried to think of something. . .

Makoto was flipping through her phone, seemingly investigating. She found herself compelled to stare at him, once again finding her vision drawn to his lips. They looked so soft. . .

As she drifted into her fantasies, Makoto put his phone in his pocket. "Hey, Labrys." She snapped back into reality, blinking a few times. "There's a horror movie marathon on tonight."

Truth be told, Labrys hated horror movies. Even kid's horror movies scared her to death. She'd only seen a couple, with Junpei and Yukari, with only the former of the two actually liking them, but they still really freaked her out. She didn't deal very well with the super-natural and creepy. But Makoto wanted to watch them with her, and she could spend time with him, so. . .

"Sure. I'd love to." She smiled at him, masking her actual opinion on the horror movies.

"Great. It starts at nine, so I have some time to cook us some dinner." Once again he took out his phone, seemingly establishing a plan. He really was quite the reliable guy, always having just about everything totally planned out. It was one of the many things Labrys admired about his personality. She could always count on him to always have everything perfect. While she wasn't thrilled about the horror movies, as long as she was with Makoto, everything was amazing. She squeezed his hand, smiling warmly at her. He looked up, also smiling, as if understanding her thoughts.

* * *

><p>As they walked, the couple talked about a great many things. The movies they would be watching later seemed like they were pretty generic, but Labrys would probably still be horrified either way. Makoto asked what Labrys wanted for dinner, even though she wouldn't be eating any of it, which reminded her that he was the best boyfriend in the entire universe. She hardly even felt like an Anti-Shadow Suppression Unit when she was around him. He made her feel amazing. They agreed that ramen sounded pretty good, and Makoto had ingredients lying around the house for it, so they settled on that for dinner. He could afford something better than cup ramen that night, so he might as well use the opportunity to impress Labrys.<p>

Upon arriving at the apartment, Makoto got right down to business with dinner. He set Labrys up with Blazblue for the second time in her life, trying to encourage her to try harder this time. She didn't have fond memories of the game, but if it would make Makoto feel better, she would try her best.

It was hard to pay attention to cooking dinner when the cutest thing in the world was in the middle of the room, licking her lips in concentration. Several times he slipped and spilled something because he couldn't pry his eyes away from how adorable she was. This was a different kind of beauty than the kind that she usually possessed; her regular elegance was replaced by pure adorable when she was playing video-games. Something about her sheer concentration and the brief moments of adrenaline just made her look really cute. And she looked like she was having fun with it, so he had nothing to complain about.

Surprisingly, she _was_ having fun with it. When it didn't feel like a competition with her pride at stake, it was actually a pretty enjoyable pass-time. _So this is what Makoto does, huh. . . _It felt a little weird to her. Even the shortest combos seemed difficult to her to pull off. She had to admire Makoto's dexterity when it came to handling a controller. He really was amazing at anything he did, after all. Truly a perfect guy. She found her thoughts drifting to him as the round ended, with her emerging as the loser.

"Ugh!" She moaned, turning to face Makoto. "How are you supposed to beat this Hakumen guy? His sword is so huge!"

Her protests were even more adorable than her actually playing. "I'm sure you can do it. You're the strongest person I know."

She turned back towards the screen, now with a new motivation as she attempted to defeat this white warrior once again. _If Makoto thinks I can do it, I know I can!_

Of course, she lost again. But at that point, the marathon had almost started and Makoto was finished with dinner, so she gave up on Blazblue for the night.

"Makoto, hurry up, hurry up!" She patted the seat next to hers, Makoto rushing over with his dinner in hand. "The movie's almost starting!" The eerie, creepy music in the background was playing from Makoto's TV as he sat down next to her, bowl in his lap. He had just made some plain ramen, nothing special. It wasn't like he had a culinary degree or anything, but it tasted alright. "The movie's starting." She wrapped her arms around one of his in anticipation, an excited smile on her face. It gave her a childish cuteness that made it seem like she had just woken up on her birthday, waiting for presents from everyone.

Makoto admired his girlfriend in the dim light of the screen for a bit before turning his attention to the actual movie. The black and white glow indicated that it was a pretty old movie, but he couldn't yet pinpoint the plot. After several moments, it was revealed that it was some ancient vampire movie about Count Dracula and his quest for the blood of all the humans in the world. Pretty generic, but at the time it could be okay. _Just gotta' give it a shot_. Makoto decided to give it his full attention, eating as he watched.

Despite the simplicity of the plot and the performance, Labrys found herself completely horrified by the displays on screen. Something about a human drinking the blood of another human really frightened her. She cowered at just about every blood drinking scene. Just seeing the vampire creeped her out. Whoever did his makeup must have been rather talented if he was capable of scaring a powerful, shadow-destroying robot.

"Johnson!" The girl's pronunciation of the English name almost made Makoto laugh. "We'll never make it out alive!"

"I know, Stacy." Once again, he stifled his childish giggles as the dialogue continued. "But I also know. . . That I love you."

That was easily the cheesiest confession scene he'd ever seen in his life. In fact, he thought the relationship was already implied from the beginning of the movie. As the vampire drew in on them, the pair held each other in their arms, and slowly but surely, kissed one of those movie kisses.

Labrys's fear was replaced by the insatiable warmth she knew all too well by then. Even in a horror movie, scenes like that one got to her. Especially when she was with Makoto. She found herself staring at his face, ignoring what was happening in the movie entirely, only focused on one thing. She had to strengthen her resolve to get what she wanted. "Hey, Makoto," she whispered.

He looked towards her, eyebrow raised.

"Uhm. . . D-D-Do you think. . ." She poked her fingers together, not really sure how to phrase it. "I-I mean, what they just did on screen. . . Uhm. . . D-Do you. . ."

A loud shriek came out of the TV as the vampire happened upon his victims, drinking the blood of the woman. She screamed in pain and suffering as the blood poured down her neck in quantities that it didn't look like a small bite could actually produce. Still, it scared Labrys to death. She jumped, burying her head in Makoto's chest to hide from the vampire on screen.

_Darn it! I blew my chance. . . _She sat there for a few moments as the credits rolled, not really sure what to do. Clearly, she was trying to ask a question about the kiss, but the atmosphere was gone now. If anything, she'd look foolish if she asked now. . . So she just clung to his chest, acting like she was still afraid. While the scene had scared her, now she was just more disappointed that she couldn't get to talk to Makoto about it. That was scarier than the movie.

"Labrys," he said, breaking her out of her trance. She looked up.

"Wha-"

She was interrupted by the presence of Makoto's lips on hers.

It was fast. Unexpected. He just quickly cupped his hand around her chin and pulled her face in, bringing his lips to hers. Her entire mind went blank for the first couple of seconds, completely and totally in shock at the feeling. After those next couple of seconds, it was as if fireworks had gone off inside her and shot her into space. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever felt. Not just the kiss itself, but the feeling of unity that came from kissing the person she loved more than anything else. The kiss in the movie didn't even come close to doing justice to the warmth she was feeling. She didn't know how she expected it to feel, but nothing ever could have lived up to just how amazing that moment was. The feeling of Makoto's lips was everything she wanted it to be and more. She found herself reciprocating the action, arms wrapped around Makoto's back.

The second movie had already started by the time they actually pulled apart. Makoto was panting. They were kissing for quite some time, but Labrys didn't need oxygen like Makoto did. He didn't care, though. He had waited too long to do that.

Labrys brought her fingers to her lips, as if trying to replicate the feeling. "M-Makoto. . ." She looked towards him, the warm smile on his face making her feel completely at ease. She could feel the overwhelming joy bursting forth. She wrapped him into the tightest, warmest hug she was capable of giving.

"H-Hey!" he said, caught off guard. After a few seconds, he returned the hug. "I love you."

"I-I love you, too." She buried her face into his neck, in the happiest moment of her life. "Y-You really . . . really kissed me, huh. . ." She giggled, pulling back just slightly enough to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Even though I'm a. . ."

He interrupted her yet again, with another kiss. While this one lasted for a shorter period of time, it sent the same electricity running through Labrys's body. When he pulled back, he made a "tsk" sound. "Every time you do that, I'm going to do this to keep you quiet." He kissed her again, this time only a slight peck.

Labrys giggled. "Maybe I'll just have to complain more often, then." She pulled her face closer to his. "Oh, it sure sucks that I'm -"

Just as she was expecting, Makoto kissed her again. After several more seconds of unity, they separated once more. Labrys giggled, releasing the cutest sound Makoto could think of. "I really do love everything about you. And I always will," he said, completely confident in those words.

"I know." She smiled. "And I love you too."

After separating from their warm embrace, the couple finally started to pay attention to the movies again. Labrys still couldn't get the feeling out of her brain, though; that wonderful feeling she'd just experienced. She didn't think she could ever forget.

And so, the movie marathon continued through the night, but Labrys was fast asleep before she could finish the second movie. Makoto stayed up, staring at her sleeping face. The face he'd just kissed, only minutes ago.

Closing his eyes, he enjoyed the bliss of being completely and totally smitten.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: SUPER fluff today! Like, fluffier than a bunny wrapped in fluff, rolled through a field of cotton balls and topped off with the fur of a BILLION puppies. Live puppies, of course, because those are the cutest kind. Don't you think?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Seriously, quit flattering me! You're making me blush. Allllsoooo, I was thinking about doing a Halloween story today or tomorrow to commemorate the great holiday! Probably about Persona, but maybe about something else? I think some Persona 3x4 Halloween antics would be pretty awesome! So let me know if you wanna see it and I'll probably write about it sometime this weekend if so! **

**But regarding this story, favorite if it's your favorite! Follow if it's someone you really like on twitter or instagram and their pictures always just make your day because they're so funny and hilarious and fluffy and any other adjective depending on what you're into. I don't judge. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**

**Or if you just wanna' read more! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Yikes! Haven't updated in a few days. Audience will probably be mad at me!**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Oh, it's just the usual! Anyways, sorry I delayed this one so much. It was partially due to some stuff I was busy with over the weekend (like having friends hah just kidding i don't have any of those ;-; loveme) but some of it was because this prompt was so freakin' hard to write. I've been thinking about exactly what I'm going to do for this one for a really long time now, and while a lot of my ideas were pretty good, I eventually had to decide on one, and this is what happened! Sorry again for the hiatus, and I look forward to daily updates once again (except maybe Saturdays, but I'll try to keep up). Enjoy the story! It's probably a lot worse this time (probably unless I did kind of okay), but I know for a fact it's shorter. Still, I had to get something out, and this was honestly the best I could come up with. **

* * *

><p>Once again, Labrys found herself dropping her controller in slight frustration as she lost the round, scooping it up again quickly so that she could win the next one. Of course, she didn't, once again resulting in a slight loss of enthusiasm. <em>Maybe a different character? <em>She scrolled around the character select screen for the tenth time that day, trying to decide on someone. She had tried most of the characters at this point, and Makoto tried to give her pointers as to who was good and bad, but she just couldn't decide. . . _I'll ask him when he gets back. _

Makoto had gotten her pretty into the Blazblue franchise without really directly trying to. At first, she had been trying to impress him by getting better, but now she was just legitimately enjoying it. Now that Makoto had purchased an additional controller to replace the old one, frequently she would go to his home after work to play the game to see if she could get just a little bit better. If anything, she was probably practicing more than he was, hijacking the TV. She still wasn't very good, though, despite the many hours of practice she was putting in. Still, every now and then she would land a few hits on Makoto, or clear arcade mode, and those moments of adrenaline were all she needed from the game. All the little things that gave her brief periods of joy.

The door to the apartment opened and closed as Makoto walked inside, carrying some bags from his most recent shopping trip. "I'm home," he said, setting the groceries down in the kitchen. The rest of the bags found their way to his bed. The quantities of food he'd purchased clearly meant he intended to stockpile this until the next month, at least.

"Welcome back," she said, waving a hand with her attention still on the TV. Makoto laughed as he started unpacking the contents of his bags. "Whatchya got there?" she asked, pausing the game as she walked towards him.

"Just some clothes." He was unpacking lighter wear than what he normally wore for the winter season, with some t-shirts and jeans. It was pretty clear he was preparing for summer. It was around the corner, after all._  
><em>

"Oh, huh. . ." His fashion sense wasn't bad, per say, but it was pretty bland by her standards. After all, she was taking notes from Yukari, so her expectations were pretty flashy. Then again, it was Makoto. He didn't really express much of his personality through his physical appearance. In fact, if you judged him by his physical appearance, you would probably get the wrong impression.

"I'm gonna' grab the rest from downstairs. Back in a bit." He stood from the bed and started to walk towards the door.

"Wait, what? How much did you buy?" With this already-vast quantity of bags in the apartment, Labrys couldn't help but wonder what else he had to grab. She too stood up, following him as he walked. "If you want, I can help out."

"It's okay. Just some food and stuff. Really, it's no sweat." He patted her head in his comforting fashion and left the apartment, leaving her alone.

She plopped down on the bed, once again examining his clothes. Upon further examination, he did kind of know what he was doing with how he dressed. Maybe he was trying to be more impressive now that he had a girlfriend, but it looked like his usual wardrobe; combinations of blues and grays and blacks to accentuate his finer points. Or maybe they were just his favorite colors. Regardless, they looked good on him. She found herself fantasizing about him in a variety of different ensembles before snapping back into reality.

_Hey, I need some clothes for the summer to cover my parts, too. Maybe. . ._ She found herself drifting to the thought before she could stop herself, and before logic had advised her otherwise, she started to try on Makoto's clothing.

All of it was kind of big for her, but that only made it more efficient at covering what she wanted it to cover. She rarely wore pants, so it was a different sensation than what she was used to. She wore a pair of black jeans he'd purchased along with a blue and white striped t-shirt, with a dark blue windbreaker over the shirt. The baggy clothes looked far too loose on her, but the experiment was yielding good results. She looked like a normal human girl as she twirled for the mirror, smiling to herself at her appearance. _I look pretty good in this, don't I? _She posed, trying to look as fashionable as possible. Then she giggled, deciding she had an idea.

She brushed some hair down over her eye and tried to emulate the appearance of her boyfriend. It obstructed her vision in an annoying fashion, and for a brief moment she wondered why her boyfriend even bothered. It looked nice, but it seemed so restricting. . . She brushed it up, laughing as she continued modelling more and more of his clothes.

That is, until the door opened.

There was a brief standstill between the two of them as neither moved, the only sign of time ticking on being the blush that was flowing to Labrys's cheeks as she stood there, slack-jawed. She hadn't even considered that she wasn't alone and that he was coming back to the apartment, having too much fun messing with her boyfriend's attire. Now, there she was, barely pulling on her shirt with the room a mess, scattered with the clothes she'd discarded.

"U-Uhm. . ." She searched for an appropriate response, but couldn't quite find one. She didn't know what she expected Makoto to do.

Makoto laughed.

Not a rude laugh, or a loud laugh, just a quiet chuckle, like the ones she had grown so fond of hearing when she told an occasional joke or did something awkward that she approved of. Labrys found her embarrassment growing further and further as he looked at her intently, setting his bags on the floor. She tried to pick up the clothes, her blush only growing more severe as he laughed at her. "I-I'm sorry! I just . . . I couldn't. . ."

He briefly paused, before chuckling yet again. "No problem." Once again, he let out a brief laugh as she averted her gaze. In all honesty, he thought she looked pretty nice. The baggy clothes made her seem younger, like a little girl trying to impersonate dad by wearing one of his suits. Combined with her nervous expression and awkward mannerisms, he found it adorable. "It looks nice on you."

"Uh. . . Thanks." Her face, already a deep shade of crimson, continued to get redder and redder.

"If you needed clothes, you could've just asked me to pick you some up." He laughed again as he started to collect discarded clothing as well. Eventually, they'd gathered it up and placed it all by the bed.

"I don't need any, it's just . . . they looked . . . comfy. And warm. . ." She sighed. "Ugh, this is so embarrassing. . ."

"Hey, it's no problem." He laughed. "I'm glad I got to see you like this."

She frowned, before an idea hatched in her head. Slowly, her frown turned into a mischievous smile as she turned to face Makoto. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I am." She inched towards him.

"Then. . ." She poked his chest. "You'd say it made you happy?"

"Yeah."

"Then. . . It's only fair that you've gotta' wear _my _clothes."

Well that certainly took a turn for the worst, and fast.

"Wait, what?" he asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"If you get to see me in your clothes, I get to see you in my clothes. It's only fair!" She continued poking him, intent on receiving her revenge.

"Uh- I really . . . don't think that's a good idea. . ." He inched backwards as she inched forwards, not fond of the idea of wearing any of her clothes.

"Nope. Fair is fair."

Well. Arguing wasn't going to get him anywhere. He prepared himself for whatever game his girlfriend had prepared, but looking forward to it and dreading it.

* * *

><p>After some personal favors from some friends on the Investigation Team, Labrys had managed to get her hands on a female Yasogami High uniform for Makoto's personal use, much to his dismay. He was expecting to wear some of her winter clothes or one of her outfits, not a high school girl's uniform. Slowly, he walked out of the changing room with the sailor uniform on. He had refused to wear the skirt along with it, so he was given permission to simply wear the Yasogami male pants along with the sailor suit top. The yellow definitely clashed with his skin tone and hair, and his miserable expression didn't make it any more appealing. Unfortunately, he had no choice in the decision, so he had to go along with it. Though, the whole "fair is fair" thing was kind of dwindling. . .<p>

After all, Labrys had only worn his clothes. She had forced him to do his hair in a (rather small) ponytail and everything. Revenge was one thing, but this. . .

_This. . . is torture. _

"Twirl," she commanded in a cute yet intimidating voice. With no other alternative, he did as ordered, the necktie of the uniform flipping to the side as he did so. "Makoto, you're so cute in this." She giggled. "Maybe we should just make it your permanent wardrobe!" She found herself enjoying herself already.

Makoto let out a resigned chuckle, finally reaching the conclusion that complaining was going to get him no where in this situation. He adjusted the neck tie, looking more miserable than embarrassed. "Can I change back yet?"

"Nooo, you've gotta' pose first." She laughed, pulling out her phone. "I'm gonna' take pictuuuures!" she sang in an expectant tone.

"This is far from fair." He struck a dramatic pose, deciding that if he had to do it, he might as well work it. _I mean, if I've got to go through it anyways, I might as well let both of us enjoy it._ With one hand on his forehead and the other on his hip, he posed like a model from those weird girly magazines he often saw Yukari read.

Labrys giggled. "Now fierce!"

He complied, curling his fingers into claws as he mock growled at the camera. "Good, good, now . . . innocent, like a high-school girl!"

Makoto acted as if he was holding out a love letter, like a high school girl would, eyes on the ground. It was a little frightening that he could do all this so well, but it only managed to make Labrys laugh harder. He smiled, now thoroughly enjoying the act himself. Then he improvised a little, loosening his neck tie and pretending to be seductive with it. Labrys was laughing madly, now unable to maintain her position of dominance through her laughter. "Stop it, stop it, my side's gonna' split!" She closed the camera phone, barely managing to collect herself as she continued to take pictures. Sexy poses, silly poses, intimidating poses (all of which were hideous), they continued on for a good ten minutes. Even with bystanders watching, as long as it made Labrys happy, Makoto didn't mind. Even with their . . . harsh and judgmental glares.

After Labrys had finally managed to calm down, she sighed, extending her arms out towards her boyfriend. "Thanks."

He gave her a hug, happy that she enjoyed the "exercise". "No problem."

"We should make this a usual thing!" Labrys said, still laughing. "I happen to think you look quite dashing in this." She fiddled with his tie, straightening it for him.

"I . . . tend to disagree." While he was enjoying the activity, he didn't want Labrys to get attached to the thought of him in a girl's Yasogami uniform, let alone anyone else. . .

"Aww, not even for combat missions? You already wear a uniform anyways." She brushed off his shoulder, smiling playfully.

"Can I change now?" he asked, looking around the store. _If someone I know comes in, I'll never hear the end of it._

"Oh, fine. But this is the best you've looked in months." She laughed, deciding she'd teased him enough for one day. "Okaaay. I've had my fun. I think you should keep it, but you can change."

He nodded, hastily re-entering the changing room to put on his usual attire. Labrys sighed happily, looking at clothes while she walked around the store. It was the little things like this in her relationship that she really appreciated; the silly moments of teasing and joking that didn't get either party anywhere, but was plain fun. Labrys hadn't really experienced any of this fun in her life, so every time she got to have it it felt like magic to her. _Life sure is perfect. . . As long as I'm with him. _Walking around the store in a daze, she found herself thinking to the future of her relationship with Makoto.

"Labrys," said Makoto, now in his usual winter-wear. "Something the matter?" he asked, commenting on her dazed appearance.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." She giggled, running towards him to link arms together as she was so fond of doing. "Hey, Makoto?"

"Hm?" he asked, as the pair walked out from the store.

"Take me shopping again sometime, alright? It was fun." She snuggled up against him, resting her head against his neck.

"Fun for you. . ." he said, before laughing. "Alright, it's a date. But. . ."

"But what?"

"Uh. . . About those pictures you took earlier today."

Labrys smiled a mischievous smile. "Oh, right, those pictures. . . Gee, it sure would be bad if something were to happen to them." She laughed, in a way that was both adorable and horrifying to Makoto. "If I were you, I would be on my toes. The person with those pictures could do some reeeaaal bad things."

He found himself smiling, too. Something about being teased by the person he loved was kind of endearing, in a strange sense. Normally it would be annoying, but when it was Labrys it was just cute. "Well, I hope I can make the person with those pictures happy."

"You already have." She kissed his cheek, pulling him closer as they walked through the halls of the mall, without a care in the world. "Happier than any girl in the world. But . . . not a word of this to anyone, right?"

"Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hah, joke's on them, ALL of you got a word of it! And most of you are anyone. I think!**

**Thanks for reading yet another chapter. I think this one is a lot worse than the others (but that's just me, hopefully you liked it) and with any luck I can get a prompt that's easier to write some stuff with. It was hard to fluff up this chapter, so I just tried to make it funny. I think it worked, don't you?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**I never get tired of hearing your endless praise! Seriously though, favorite and review if it's your favorite! Follow if you see a mysterious man at the airport stealing a suitcase and you decide to follow him to learn what criminal deeds he might be up to.**

**Or if you just wanna' read more! **


	7. Chapter 7

**_A/N: _Well, this one was a bit of a trickster! The prompt is "cosplaying", and I was like, "wow. So out of character for either of them." So it was a little hard to work with, but hey, I think it's okay. After all, with people as fantastic as you supporting me, audience, how can I go wrong?**

**Audience: "You suck." **

**Aww, you're making me all warm and fuzzy inside! Anyways, this chapter is about cosplaying, apparently. Have fun reading, I hope! **

* * *

><p>"C'mon, let's go, let's go!" Ken shouted, Koromaru barking with enthusiasm as they drove to the complex. He was practically bouncing up and down in his seat, urging Kikuno to go faster.<p>

Yukari tried to keep it on the low down, but seeing as Ken was such a big fan, it couldn't be avoided. The Phoenix Ranger Featherman R convention was being held in Tatsumi Port Island, so naturally, he insisted everyone go along. Yukari tried to discourage him, but Ken was surprisingly adamant in his decision. No matter what protests were issued to him or who complained, he absolutely refused to take no for an answer. And thus, all the Shadow Operatives were in the back of Mitsuru's limousine, being driven by Kikuno, on their way to the convention. In some . . . interesting wardrobe, to say the least.

"Ken. . . You all really didn't have to do this." Yukari cleared her throat, looking around the car at all her friends in costume.

"No, we did, we did!" he said, he and Koromaru in matching Feather Red Hawk costumes. He looked absolutely ecstatic. "This is gonna' be so much fun!"

"I still think it was unnecessary. . ." said Mitsuru, in a Feather Blue Swan uniform. "This outfit. . . It's embarrassing, let alone impractical. . ."

"Nuh-uh!" Ken said, showing off more of his childish side. "We totally had to do this, or we couldn't call ourselves fans! And it's perfect combat attire. If anything, we should wear it more often, Mitsuru!" It was interesting to see the usually-mature Ken in a completely childish mindset.

Akihiko laughed. "Let him have his fun. This is our first time at one of these things. Even if this outfit is a bit restricting. . ." Akihiko's Feather Yellow Owl costume was also wonderfully crafted, though he wasn't too fond of it. Still, Akihiko seemed like he was enjoying himself. "I could stand to fight in it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Mitsuru sighed. "Regardless of my opinion, these costumes are exquisite. . . Fuuka, where did you get these?"

Fuuka, who had wisely omitted herself from wearing a costume, shook her head. "Kikuno-san made them."

Kikuno's dedication was admirable. The costumes were spot on, after all. They could easily be actual outfits from the show. It was obvious she spent hours on this, at Ken's insistence.

"Ah, I see. . ." Mitsuru then shifted her attention to Labrys, in a Feather White Horned Owl costume. She seemed pretty embarrassed. "Labrys, this is your first time at an event this large, right?"

"U-Uh, right, yeah." She looked about at all of her friends in costume, unsure at how they were pulling them off. _I must look ridiculous, _she thought, stretching her hands underneath the rubber gloves. It covered all of her parts, but the form-fitting suit was uncomfortable and restrictive.

"It should be fun, sister." Aigis, too, had come, but she wasn't in costume. Ken insisted that this would be the perfect opportunity to show off her mechanical parts, as enemies from a certain arc of the manga were metallic and robotic. No one had questioned it, really.

"Of course." _With everyone else here, it's definitely gonna' be fun. We're gonna' have a great time. _She smiled enthusiastically and looked to the person to her left.

He, however, looked miserable.

Makoto was garbed in a Feather Black Falcon costume, insisting the color "suited him well" as opposed to one of the brighter colors. He was pretty sure he could handle dressing up in public. However, now that he was on his way there, he was getting cold feet. Makoto never really liked being the center of attention, unless it was a one-on-one thing. With five hundred random strangers watching his every move, that was different. Not only that, but it was kind of embarrassing to dress up as a character from a kid's show. Especially considering how well made the costumes were. . . Yukari's was official, but everyone else could easily pass as members of the cast if they tried and said some hammy dialogue. With that in mind, he was clearly going to get a lot of pictures taken of him. _I can at least hide inside the helmet. It won't be too bad if I just hide inside the helmet. _It wasn't really nervousness, it was just not wanting the attention.

Labrys poked his cheek, getting his attention. "Hey. What's the matter? You don't look so good."

"Nothing." He put on his helmet, deciding to fully devote himself to being Feather Black. He'd watched a bit of the show back in high school, anyways. If Featherman Victory was anything like the previous iterations, he could pass pretty well.

"Man, you're getting cold feet, aren't you?" asked Junpei as they pulled into the parking lot, donned in a Feather Green costume. "C'mon, the pictures are the best part! We're gonna' be legends!"

"Yeah, Junpei's got the right idea!" He and Ken exchanged a high five and some laughter as they bounced around giddily. _He must be a fan, _thought Labrys.

"We're here, everyone," said Kikuno in the front seat.

Everyone nodded, putting their helmets with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Ken couldn't contain himself anymore, his excitement getting the better of him. "Featherman, away!" shouted Ken as he hopped out of the car, running into the convention center enthusiastically, Koromaru on his heels. Junpei rushed after him, partly to make sure he didn't get lost, but mostly to make sure he was part of the action too.

_Brace yourself, Feather Black. You can handle this. _Makoto began the long trek into the convention center, bolstering his confidence.

* * *

><p>He had practically collapsed by the time he made it to the front door.<p>

_That must've been at least a hundred. . ._ He thought, as he entered the main hall of the center. On the way inside alone, their group had been stopped for pictures plenty of times, being forced to pose. Ken enthusiastically held his sword high, shouting quotes from the show. Junpei joined him, reciting some hammy battle dialogue that the crowds just ate up. Even Akihiko got into the act for a bit, challenging Red for the title of leader, which got lots of laughs from the crowd. They looked like they were having a really good time, but this just wasn't Makoto's style.

The helmet was the only barrier between Makoto and the eyes of thousands of watchers. There were hundreds of eyes, all on him and his friends. _I just want to walk around without all this attention. . . __I need to bolster my resolve if I'm going to stay like this all day._

He felt a strange sensation on his hand, which he could barely feel through the rubber gloves. He turned to the left to see his companion, Labrys, or Feather White, grabbing his hand. She must have sensed his distress.

"Feather Black, ya' doin' alright?" she asked, swinging his hand in hers. "I'm havin' a lot of fun so far. Thanks for comin' with me."

". . . Of course," he said, a gentle smile forming under his helmet. "With everyone else here, how could I not be?"

"Right. As long as we're here together, we'll have a great time. So cheer up, alright?" She squeezed his hand, before letting go.

That brief gesture filled Makoto with a well of confidence, deciding to bear the burden for his girlfriend. As long as she was having fun, he could be happy. _I'll be the best Feather Man there is. _

"Wow, look at that Feather Pink costume!" shouted a bystander, directed at Yukari. "It looks like the real thing!"

It _was_ the real thing, but soon, the crowd was flocking around the group once again. Labrys gave Makoto another enthusiastic nod, smiling under her helmet. _This should be a lot of fun, _she thought, going to pose with the rest of her friends.

The group couldn't even move for a brief amount of time, surrounded by a massive crowd of people, everyone wanting pictures. Now, though, everyone was into the act, shouting nonsensical attacks and battle dialogue that Labrys wasn't even sure was in the show. _I'll have to go watch it some time. _Ken and Koromaru fought for everyone's attention, trying to steal the spotlight from Yukari. "It is I, Feather Red!" A cry of "ooohs" and "ahs" shot through the crowd as he shouted the name of his ultimate attack. Junpei, too, swung his weapons around. Akihiko was giving a speech about "A good Featherman needs his protein" or something. The crowd was absolutely hysterical, especially when Aigis got pulled into the action as well. For a moment she thought it was a serious situation, so Labrys had to explain that they weren't actually fighting any bad guys.

Labrys couldn't stop laughing at how silly everyone was being. _This is gonna' be great._

* * *

><p>The crowd dissipated after a good half hour of pictures, due to some panels starting in a few moments. "Oh, crap," said Yukari, rushing off. "I have to get ready for the autograph panel! We'll meet up here later, guys!"<p>

With that, everyone slowly separated. "C'mon, Koromaru, let's go get autographs!" Ken said, rushing off into the convention center, laughing like a little kid. Junpei followed after him, shouting for him to slow down as he ran out of the main hall.

"Hey, Mitsuru, Fuuka, let's go grab lunch." Akihiko punched his open hand. "Maybe we can get some more pictures taken on the way." He seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Alright, Akihiko." And so, Akihiko, Mitsuru, Fuuka and Kikuno left to grab food, leaving just Makoto and Labrys in the center of the square.

"Makoto," Labrys said, voice muffled from underneath her helmet. "Let's go check out the vendors. I wanna' see if we can grab somethin' for Ken-kun while he's gettin' autographs."

"Sure," he said, nodding to make sure the helmet didn't silence him completely. "We'll go to Yukari's panel after that, alright?"

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan." She grabbed his hand and led him off into the crowd, with absolutely no idea where she was going. But as long as he was with her, that's where she wanted to be.

* * *

><p>"This is so cute! Makoto, we just gotta' pick it up for Ken-kun," Labrys said, holding the object in question out to Makoto. It was a little Feather Red plush doll, with a tiny strap so you could tie it to a key chain or cellphone.<p>

"Alright, alright, calm down." He laughed a little at her childish enthusiasm. "Sure." He pulled out his wallet, paying the vendor for the doll. Labrys cheered as he bought it, smiling gleefully. She skipped along next to her, humming the Featherman Victory opening as she walked along. "Having fun?"

"You betchya! I'm really glad Ken-kun dragged us along to this thing. But mostly. . ." She grabbed his hand yet again. "I get to spend time with you, y'know? So it's great."

He squeezed her hand back. "Yeah. Say, you see anything you want? I'll get you a souvenir."

"Really?" she asked, immediately diverting her attention from him to the various stalls around her, looking for something she wanted. "Ooh, how about that?" she asked, pointing towards a figure on the wall. It was a 1/7th size Feather White figure, which was overall pretty impressive and nice looking.

Makoto immediately saw the price tag. ¥_68,000? No way. I can't afford that._ The expectant look on her face was killing him as he looked for a polite way to refuse. "Uh. . . That's a bit pricey, don't you think? Maybe we could get something cheaper. . ." He cleared his throat, trying to sound as polite as possible. He didn't want to flat-out refuse, but he couldn't pay that much, even if he wanted to.

She frowned a little, but didn't seem too disappointed. "Yeah, I guess so. Hmm. . ." She started to look around yet again, abandoning the idea. _Dodged a bullet, _he thought, wiping an imaginary bead of sweat from his forehead. "Oh, oh, how about that?" she asked, her attention now on the new object of her desires.

This time, she was pointing towards something far more affordable. It was a Featherman board game, in which one played as a Featherman to defeat evil and take down the Four Kings or something like that. It was made for kids, but Labrys seemed to really want it. "We could play it with everybody. It'd be loads of fun!"

"Hmm. . . Guess so." It did sound like fun. Makoto made his way over to purchase the board game, taking his helmet off to give his full attention to the vendor.

"Wow! Your Feather Black costume is amazing! Can I get a quick picture for my son?" asked the vendor, immediately pulling out his phone. Evidently, he wasn't waiting for the answer. "Whoa, and you've got a Feather White with you? That's awesome! I've got to get a picture of the two of you."

Labrys walked up behind him, helmet still on. Makoto slipped his on. "Uh, sure."

"Alright, alright, now pose!"

Makoto cleared his throat, trying to indicate he was uncomfortable with the situation as he got into position. Labrys took a similar position behind his back, making it look as if they were mirror images. Even if one of them was a lot taller than the other, and a girl. The vendor snapped the photo. "This is awesome, guys! So what can I help you with?"

"Uh, we'll take one o' that game there." Labrys pointed at the board game, which the vendor enthusiastically grabbed, handing it to Makoto.

"Great, great, thanks, you two. Oh, he's gonna' love this!" _Being a vendor must be really boring if this is the best thing he's seen all day. _Regardless, Labrys looked happy that someone was so enthusiastic to see her. _I guess this will be a pretty memorable experience for all of us. _

"See, it's got pieces and parts for all of us to play." Labrys was explaining the details of the game as the pair walked through the convention center, on their way to Yukari's autograph panel. As Labrys rambled on, Makoto found himself staring at her. Even in the silly costume, with her helmet off, she looked amazing. He always found himself astounded by the way her face lit up at the silliest, tiny things that he took for granted. She really did find meaning in everything, didn't she? It was adorable. "Hey, Makoto, payin' attention?"

Clearly, he'd been zoning out for a bit now. "Yeah, of course," he said.

"We're almost at the panel, anyway. This has been a lotta' fun, Makoto."

"It's not over yet. We can still have some more fun. Come on, the panel's starting." And so, the pair walked into the panel, before being immediately crowded by fans. _Eh, at least I'm enjoying myself. _Makoto worked the Feather Black costume to the best of his ability.

* * *

><p>"Aw, man, that was just the best!" Ken said, practically bouncing up and down in his seat. He looked a lot younger like this. "I got autographs from all the Featherman Rangers!"<p>

Ken had waited in line for an hour to get all his autographs. "You know, you could've just asked me, Ken," said Yukari, who was tired from a long day of questions and panels.

"It's not the same if you just get them for me. I got to meet the Featherman Rangers in person! It was awesome!"

Yukari and Ken continued to have an enthusiastic conversation, but everyone else was pretty exhausted. Disregarding the fact that these rubber outfits were starting to grow uncomfortable, it had been a lot of work to walk around and pose all day. Akihiko, the most durable of all of them, looked as if he was about to pass out.

Labrys rested her head on Makoto's shoulder on the ride home. She closed her eyes and thought back on the fun she had that day. "Hey, Makoto?" she whispered, trying not to draw anyone else's attention. "Today was a lot of fun. Let's do stuff like this all the time, yeah?"

"Yeah," he said, leaning against her as well, ignoring the watchful eyes of their friends. "We'll do this all the time. It was fun."

"But, uh, maybe next time we can try without the costumes?"

"Good idea," said everyone in the car.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, another successful chapter! I think this one was a lot higher quality than the last one, don't you?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**You're the best, guys! Seriously, though, I love all of you. Anyways, I think this chapter was a lot of fun because I got to incorporate some other members of the Shadow Operatives and talk a bit more from Makoto's perspective. I've been kind of focusing the story as if it was inside Labrys's head, but now I'm messing around with Makoto a little. It's fun to write from a different character's perspective sometimes! Anyway, I do hope you enjoyed and continue reading. Favorite and review if I'm your favorite! Follow if there's a trail of cookies through your kitchen leading into a hole in the wall and you want to make sure you don't have rats so you need to follow the trail to know if you need to set traps.**

**Or if you just wanna' read more. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Shop till you drop! That's today's prompt, anyways. Shopping. So we'll get to do some of that. I hope everyone liked last chapter, by the way, because from now on I'm going to try to include more Persona characters into the stories than I was previously. Except for in this chapter. And a lot of other chapters. But for some, we'll be including other characters. Yay. Do you like that plan, audience?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Yay! You like it. Anyways, on with the story, right? **

**I hope you like it! **

* * *

><p>"Makoto, over here!" Labrys shouted from by the arcade, at her boyfriend by the fountain. He glanced towards her, before starting to walk towards her at a leisurely pace. He was a little late, but he tried to appear as casual as possible, despite his embarrassment at that fact. After all, he usually had to hassle his girlfriend for being late (always playflly, of course), so he didn't think he'd ever hear the end of being late this time.<p>

The pair had decided that on their day off this week, they would get together and go shopping. Makoto had promised Labrys, after all, and he couldn't go back on a promise to his girlfriend, whether it was to go clothing shopping or not. To say the least, it wasn't one of his favorite hobbies. So the couple decided to meet at Pawlonia Mall and browse the various stores, so that Labrys could increase her collection of human clothes. Still, as per the usual, Makoto expected any activity with Labrys to be at least somewhat amusing, even if shopping felt more like a chore than a joyous activity.

"Hey," she said, offering him a hug as greeting, which he gladly accepted. "I thought you weren't gonna' show up! You're ten minutes late," she said, sticking her tongue out in a teasing manner.

He laughed. "Sorry, sorry."

"It's okay, I forgive you." She giggled, quite fond of teasing her boyfriend. Fortunately for the both of them, he was quite tolerant and found it adorable. "Thanks a bunch for comin' today, Makoto. I know shoppin' is kinda' a girly thing, but it means a lot that you'd show up." Well, he heard the end of it a lot sooner than he thought he would.

"I wouldn't miss it." He patted her head in the way they'd both grown accustomed to. Despite the fact that it happened all the time, Labrys still blushed at the comforting gesture, as if it was wired into her brain to do so.

"R-Right," she said, turning away to hide her embarrassment. "Where do you wanna' go first?" She asked, looking around at all the different stores. "There's so many. . . And, as usual, you sure know a lot about this place, so you probably have some good ideas, right?"

"Depends on what you're looking for." Makoto pretty much knew this mall inside-out at this point. Anything she mentioned, if it was in the mall, he could find it. He'd been frequenting it for the past three years after all, so it would probably be a surprise to most if he couldn't find everything.

"Uh, I dunno'. I didn't really plan out what I was comin' her for, I just . . . thought it would be fun, to just . . . spend the day together, y'know?" Once again, she blushed. Makoto smiled. Her innocent intentions that she felt the need to keep a secret just accentuated how adorable she was at times like this.

"Alright, I know some places." He grabbed her hand, leading her towards the Antique Shop a few doors over.

Labrys didn't question it, allowing herself to be whisked away, barely containing her excitement.

* * *

><p>"Whoa, Makoto, take a look at this!"<p>

She had taken to the antique store far better than Makoto had anticipated she would. Ever since they walked in the door, Labrys just couldn't stop looking around. Even things that didn't seem particularly interesting to most stood out to her as if they were national treasures. "See, it's a big sword!" Right now, she was holding up an ancient katana that probably had some intense legend written about its construction. It did give off a somewhat ancient glow.

"Yeah, it's nice." Makoto walked up to it. "Little big though." Makoto was no stranger to swords, but he was more into the shorter variety that you could wield easily. This looked more like one of those "one slash, one kill" weapons that he couldn't see himself using. Not against Shadows, anyways.

And then, as soon as he had settled down to actually examine the sword, Labrys had run off to look at an antique record player. Makoto couldn't help but smile at her childlike behavior. It was like chaperoning a kid for their first trip to a candy store. She was enthusiastically asking the owner questions about the age and make of items, with a glow in her eyes as if she was holding a million dollars. It really was adorable. _I'm glad I picked this place. _"Hey, hey, Makoto!" she said, now holding up something. "Do you think Mitsuru-san would like this?" She was holding a traditional Japanese fan, adorned with fancy patterns that Makoto somewhat recognized from High School history lessons.

"I dunno', it doesn't seem quite her style." Mitsuru was flashy, but it was a different kind of flashy. Her presence was more dominant than showy.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. But still, it's really pretty!" She put it back on the rack with the other fans, once again running off to another area of the store. It was practically impossible to keep up, but the person he was following motivated him to keep the pace.

"Makoootooo!" she shouted, now pointing to some Yukata on the wall, with some pictures of a Japanese model surrounding it to show what it looked like while being worn. "Isn't that pretty?"

It was really nice. The light blue color with the intricate patterns was easy to look at, to say the least. "I guess so."

"Oh, I wonder if I could wear one. Maybe to the Summer Festival. That'd be fun, don't you think? We could go with everyone, and draw fortunes. . ." She continued summarizing her fantasies aloud.

Makoto looked to the price tag. _Huh. Affordable. _"Only one way to find out," he said, hailing the store attendant over.

Labrys's expression looked more excited than a chipmunk who'd had too many cups of coffee that morning. She looked absolutely ecstatic.

After the cashier had rung them up and Makoto had purchased the yukata, Labrys tackle-hugged him. It was a simple gift, and it didn't cost too much, but everything seemed to mean so much more to Labrys. "Thanks a bunch, Makoto!"

"Not a problem," he said, kissing her forehead. "That's what we came to do, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Hey, you wanna' go look for more stores?" Before even getting a definite response, Labrys had run out the front door like a preschooler, giggling happily. Makoto sighed, being left to carry the bag, but that sigh was quickly replaced by a bright smile as he followed after her, intent on making her first real shopping spree her best one.

And hopefully her last one. He didn't have that kind of bank account, after all.

* * *

><p>"Oh, this pair is neat. Ooh, and this pair, and this pair!" Labrys exclaimed, pointing to pieces of jewelry in the case. Now in Be Blue V, an accessory and jewelry store, Labrys was looking at different pairs of earrings and necklaces. Her eyes were sparkling even brighter than the gemstones. "Oh, I just can't decide, they're all so nice!" She had never thought herself the type for such girly things, but it was just a way to have fun. It gave her stuff to talk about with Yukari, and it was kind of interesting to see all the different makes and models of these things. They sort of reminded her of really fancy parts.<p>

To avoid breaking his bank account or his girlfriend's heart, Makoto had set her a spending limit per store. Whether he wanted to or not, he did still need to eat for the next couple of months. She'd already purchased the Yukata from the antique store and some records from the Record Shop next door, and now she'd found her way in here. _Jewelry. . . Expensive. _Seeing the amount of zeroes on the price tag practically made Makoto cringe. _How do girls spend so much money on this stuff? _He remembered how often Yukari would stop by here before they went to Tartarus, to purchase new necklaces and pendants. Maybe it was a good luck charm? Who knew.

"Hey, this is kinda' nice," said Makoto, trying to direct Labrys away from the diamond earrings she was currently examining to the more modest sections of the store. The object in question was a plain gold bracelet. Makoto tried to ignore the karats and the price tag, simply satisfied by the fact that there were only 3 zeroes rather than 5.

"Oh, yeah, it is. It's pretty simple, but it has some kind of sophisticated look to it, don't you think?" she said, using that kind of fashion talk that only she and Yukari would understand.

". . . Right."

And so, that was the selection Labrys made as they left Be Blue V. _Thank goodness for the Sunday discount, _thought Makoto, as he only had to fork over a small portion of his wallet to pay for the gift.

"So what's next?" asked Labrys, as Makoto tried to think of another good store they could go to.

He thought for a bit. "There are some other clothing stores, or we could go to the arcade. . ."

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" she said, her eyes lighting up at the thought of the arcade. "Maybe I can beat you at some stuff!" While she realized that the prospect of that happening was relatively low, it didn't stop her from getting revved up for some "friendly" competition.

"Alright, then." Makoto chuckled, once again astounding by her enthusiasm. "I don't know what games they'll have today, but we might as well check it out." Before even waiting for directions, Labrys had already rushed off in the direction of the arcade, leaving Makoto to chase after her.

* * *

><p>"Hah, I totally won this time!" said Labrys, holding up the small piece of paper that the fortune game had given them.<p>

Makoto's was "Bad Luck", but Labrys had received a "Great Fortune" card. Naturally, it being the first game she'd won so far, she was pretty happy about winning.

Makoto laughed. "Yeah, you got me," he said, only finding amusement in her childish gloating. It was cute, rather than frustrating. "What game do you wanna' try next? There's a lot of them. . "

She looked around, before selecting one. "Oh, let's try the Punching Bag game!" she said, running over before waiting for Makoto's opinion on the matter. He sighed, smiling as he ran to catch up with her. "We've each got sixty seconds to hit the bag a bunch, and whoever hits it more wins, right?"

"Yeah." Makoto went first. It was more of an Akihiko or Junpei thing, as they did physical activity on a more regular basis, but Makoto didn't do poorly by any means. His combat experience was pretty vast, and if beating up a punching bag was anything like beating up a Shadow, Makoto would be an expert. The game gave him a "strong man" rating, which was 4th from the top, so he took it as a victory. He did have some second thoughts, afterwards. _Maybe I do need to start following Akihiko's protein consumption diets. . . _He didn't like the thought of "4th place" when it came to actual combat. Still, he was on a date, so he looked at it through rose colored glasses.

Labrys applauded him as he stepped back. "Good job. Now, it's my turn!" She walked in, getting ready to wail on the punching bag.

Perhaps this was a bad idea, in hindsight.

Labrys _was _a deadly Anti-Shadow Suppression Unit, after all. And, she had detachable hands. As she went to swing her first punch at the punching bag, the chain in her arm let lose and her arm flung forwards before Labrys could stop herself, her natural instinct taking over as Makoto's eyebrows raised in surprise.

The 'thump' released from the punching bag as it hit the floor, broken from its stand, was the only sound either Makoto or Labrys heard for a second.

She quickly reeled in her hand, blushing nervously. "I, uh. . . I think, uh. . . th-that was a bit out of hand. . ."

Makoto and Labrys had a brief moment of silence between them, before laughing. The situation was just too obscene to _not _laugh at, so Makoto just did what felt natural. "C'mon, we better get out of here, Makoto!" she said, trying to avoid being discovered. They quickly left the arcade, laughing and snickering all the way. "Oh man, that was pretty crazy, huh?" she said, looking around to make sure no one from the arcade had followed them out. "I didn't think it was gonna' break!" She giggled wildly. "But that means I win, right?"

"Yeah. Remind me never to get into a fistfight with you," said Makoto, laughing. But he was admiring his girlfriend at the same time; despite how pretty and graceful she was, she was pretty powerful too. He almost forgot she had that side of her, but it was just one of the many things that was remarkable about her.

"Well then, you better listen pretty good, right?" She giggled, once again finding joy in teasing her significant other. "That was a lot of fun. But, uh, let's just stick for the shopping for a bit, right? Don't wanna' break anything else."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault," he said, poking her cheek in a teasing fashion. She giggled yet again, smiling warmly.

"Anywhere else you think we could go, Makoto? I'm not done yet, we haven't hit all the stores!" She tugged on his arm, pulling him forward as he laughed, her enthusiasm resurfacing.

"Hmm. . ." His attention was drawn to the center fountain. "Oh, I know. Ever made a fountain wish?"

She raised an eyebrow as they walked towards the fountain in the center of the mall. "Uh. . . What'dya mean?"

"Here, you do it like this," said Makoto, pulling a coin out of his wallet. He clasped his hands together, briefly reciting a wish in his head before tossing the coin into the fountain. He couldn't think of anything to wish for on the spot, so he just winged it_. _"You do that, and you make a wish."

Labrys clapped, eyes glittering as the coin plopped into the water. "What'd you wish for?"

"Well, you're not allowed to tell anyone or it might not come true."

"Oh," she said, looking puzzled. "So, you make a wish and offer your coin t'the fountain to make it come true?"

"Well, I don't know if it'll come true, but it's worth a shot." He pulled another coin out of his wallet, handing it to her. "Try it."

"Oh, alright." She looked down at the coin, before repeating his gesture, whispering a breathy wish under her breath. With slight reluctance, she threw her coin into the fountain, watching it plop into the water. _I wish. . . That Makoto and I can be together forever, _she thought, red rising to her cheeks.

"So, what'd you wish for?" asked Makoto, smiling slyly as if he couldn't guess what the subject material of the wish was based on the rosy hue of her face.

She held a finger over his lips. "It's a secret!" she said, skipping off into another direction. "C'mon, we've got more to do!" she said, laughing as he scrambled to keep up with all the bags. _It feels like they're increasing by the second. . ._

* * *

><p>"You having a good time?" asked Makoto, with yet another bag to carry as they left a clothing store.<p>

She giggled. "The best! Thanks so much for comin' with me, Makoto. This place is a lot of fun."

"Yeah, this is where I would hang out in high school." Makoto looked around, reminiscing for a bit before Labrys laughed uncharacteristically. "What?" he asked, a look of concern spreading across his face.

"Well, it's just, everyone says you were kinda' a delinquent back in High School," she said, suppressing her laughter. "Like, you'd walk around with your hands in your pockets everywhere, and you'd hang out with some weird folks."

It was true that Makoto had some weird friends in High School, like the Gourmet King, or the television marketer Tanaka, or even the old man from Escapade that he would occasionally talk to at night. But he didn't think _delinquent _was the word he'd use. "I guess so," he said, scratching the back of his head. He decided to have some words with the rest of S.E.E.S. based on how much of a "delinquent" he was at work tomorrow.

She laughed. "Maybe one day I'll have friends just like the ones you did, yeah?"

"I'd say you already do. The Shadow Operatives are a colorful bunch."

She laughed once again. "Yeah, we've got a couple oddballs, don't we?" she laughed. "I guess I'm even kinda' an oddball," she said, looking down at the ground as some bad memories started to resurface.

Makoto decided to distract her before she wound up on a negative train of thought. He kissed her for a brief few seconds, setting his bags on the ground so he could place his hands on her shoulders. "You're not an oddball. You're wonderful."

She blushed, as she always did when he comforted her on these kind of problems. He didn't really have to anymore; he was one of the main reasons she could cope so well with her problems, but it always made her feel warm and fuzzy when he tried. He usually succeeded, anyways. It was like he had planned beforehand exactly what to say if one of these situations came out. "Th-Thanks," she stuttered out, now with a wide smile on her reddish face. "So, uh, what d'ya wanna' do next?"

"I'm happy with whatever you want to do." He collected his bags again, putting as much sentiment as he could into that sentence, because it was true. Normally, when he shopped, it was a bore or a drag, but she added some color to it all with her bright outlook. "I know a couple more places we could try."

". . . Okay!" she said, regaining her earlier enthusiasm, once again bubbling around the edges. She started to run off, but she spun around again. "And, Makoto?" she said, a light blush powdering her cheeks. "Thanks again. You really are the best guy in the whole world."

"Only because I'm dating the best girl. I love you."

Turning away to hide the brighter blush forming on her cheeks, Labrys ran off into the mall again, leading Makoto to play catch-up for the umpteenth time that day. But honestly, if it was her he was chasing, he didn't care, as long as he caught up with her eventually.

That, however, was the hard part.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay, done! These things get more and more complicated as we go, woo! That was a fun one to right, though. Was it a fun one to read?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**I wonder if I'm ever going to get tired of typing that? Probably not! Anyways, lemme know if you liked it. Favorite and review if it's your favorite! Follow if it's your love interest in the hallway and you want to sneak some photos of them in without them noticing (that's actually kind of creepy don't do that but do follow). **

**Or if you just wanna' read more! **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Happy day, everyone! I wrote another long one today. Not much to say about it. There's a LOT of other characters in this one, namely the ENTIRE CAST OF PERSONA 3 AND 4 (the prompt was hanging out with friends, so I was like, hey, friends are awesome). It's not all too fluffy and more based around fun with friends, so if you don't like that, refrain from reading, kay kay?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Love you too! Anyway, please enjoy and give me feedback if you hate it! **

* * *

><p>Mitsuru cleared her throat, looking around the circle of friends gathered around her. "I wanted to thank everyone for coming today." The large crowd was clearly no problem for her, as all the members of the Shadow Operatives as well as the Investigation team were there. She still maintained her confidence as she continued her speech. "It means a lot to me and everyone else here that you came for such a small event. . . I hope you all have fun."<p>

Today was Mitsuru's birthday. Labrys spent ages encouraging her to have a party rather than just skip it.

"Are you kidding?!" shouted the bear, Teddie. "I wouldn't miss Mit-chan's birthday for the world!" He blushed a bright, Teddie blush and puckered his lips. "Maybe as a reward for coming, I can get a smooch. . ."

Yukiko and Chie elbowed him.

"No problem, Mitsuru-san. It's our pleasure," said the mild-mannered leader of the Investigation Team. "Also, thank you for hosting us, Makoto-san."

Makoto nodded, not directly acknowledging the thanks. He was currently rushing around the kitchen, trying to prepare food and drinks for everyone. He'd practically emptied his wallet for food for this many people. _I sure wish Mitsuru had_ _run this by me first. . . _She wanted a modest party, so she chose to host it in Makoto's apartment rather than one of her own mansion-like homes.

"You've got a pretty nice place," said Yukari, looking around the one room apartment. "A little puny, but it's okay."

_Cringe._

Junpei was next. "Yeah, it's pretty pathetic. I'm surprised we all fit in here!" he said, clearly joking.

_Still __cringe._

Akihiko now. "I'm surprised you've got such a quaint little place. I'd think you'd have something nicer. . ."

_Cringe._

Before the rest of the party could make the rounds and insult Makoto, Labrys stepped up to save his self esteem. "It's really nice, I think. And we should just be happy he agreed to host, right?" She winked at him.

He smiled.

"Yes, of course," said Mitsuru. "Anyways, as you're all aware, today is my . . . birthday." This party wasn't even her idea; Yukari and all the others urged her to have it, not taking no for an answer. Naturally, once the Investigation Team found out about the party, they insisted to come too. And so, here they all were, crowded in Makoto's apartment. Only having known about the party since that morning, Makoto spent his entire morning buying food and lawn chairs for everyone to have a place to sit. He dismantled his bed and put it into the closet for more leg room, pushing his desk into the corner. He even borrowed Junpei's TV so they had two screens rather than one. With all that in mind, his preparations hadtaken quite a lot of time and energy. Still, for his friends, he really didn't mind putting that much effort in.

"So let's begin the festivities, shall we?" said Mitsuru as Makoto finally sat down to take a break. "Does anyone have an ideas?"

Yosuke put his hand up. "What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, you bet I've got an idea!" said Yosuke, holding a pack of chopsticks up in the air. "King's Game!"

All the men there responded to the idea enthusiastically. "I second that notion!" called Junpei, exchanging a high five with Yosuke. "Oh, man, this is gonna' be great!"

"B-but, whenever we do that something stupid happens!" protested Chie.

"I-I agree with Chie," said Naoto. "This could be embarrassing. . ."

"Senpai, do you wanna see me play the King's game?" said Rise, snuggling up against Yu.

All he did was nod happily.

"Hey, Makoto?" whispered Labrys, leaning up to his ear. "What's King's Game?"

He briefly explained the rules, a bright look in his eyes as Yosuke continued pleading his case. "C'mon, I even brought the chopsticks!" he said as he dug more of them out of his pocket. "Painted and everything!"

"I think it sounds like a fun exercise," said Aigis, holding her hand out for a chopstick.

"Yeah, count me in!" said Akihiko. "Nothin' like a good challenge!"

Ken smiled. "I'm always up for some friendly competition."

Slowly, after all the men agreed, the girls conceded defeat and agreed to play.

"Alright, who's the king?" asked Yosuke as he looked around the circle. "It better be someone good!"

"Yyyyyyes! The beary bearst beastly bear king there ever was, at your service!" shouted Teddie as he stood. He smiled quite possibly the brightest smile the world had ever seen.

"Oh, great," Yosuke said, slamming a palm into his forehead. "This is gonna' be terrible."

"I have prepared my demand!" he said. However, everyone on the Investigation Team already knew what was coming.

"Smooch! 4 has to give me some cuddles and a big ol' smooch!" he said, already prepared and puckered up. "Oh, please be a pretty girl, please be a pretty girl. . ."

"What the hell- no way!" shouted Kanji, standing up. "No way am I kissin' Ted a second time!"

_Second __time? _Labrys giggled at the thought of her "knight" and Kanji kissing.

"The king's orders. . ." started Yosuke, laughing.

"Are absolute!" shouted everyone simultaneously.

"C'mon Kanji, get ready! I'm going in!"

"No way, Ted, no how!"

It was too late. Teddie had already tackled him into the ground, the sounds echoing through the room.

The next round was set up by the time Teddie and Kanji returned.

Kanji's shame was eternal.

"Alright, now who?" asked Junpei. "I'm not king, so it must be-"

"Alright!" said Akihiko, standing up. "I'm the king!"

"This should be good," said Ken. Koromaru barked his agreement.

"6 has gotta challenge me to a protein shake drinking competition."

It was pretty much what everyone expected.

Mitsuru, surprisingly, stood up. "Alright, Akihiko, I accept your challenge."

His confidence disappeared. _Mitsuru __and __Akihiko. . . __This __should __be __good! _Labrys laughed as the competition kicked into high gear. The atmosphere was tense, Akihiko and Mitsuru engaging in an intense stare down. However, while Mitsuru's gaze was as cold as ice and as powerful as a rampaging rhinoceros, Akihiko looked more like an intimidated puppy trying to hold desperately to his territory. Slowly but surely, they reached for their drinks, both preparing to put their pride on the line. . .

Mitsuru had Akihiko soundly beat before they even started. She was far too intimidating for him to handle. "Argh, why couldn't I have gotten anyone else!? Why not Junpei!?" shouted Akihiko in frustration.

"Hey, what, Senpai? What makes you think I couldn't handle a protein shake!?" Junpei seemed genuinely offended.

"Junpei, if I recall correctly, you personally requested my assistance in getting rid of Akihiko's protein shakes without him knowing," said Aigis, in a matter-of-factly tone.

"Hey, Aigis, keep that a secret! That was just between us!" Makoto found himself laughing at the never-changing interactions between his old friends. _They really do never change. _

Labrys and Makoto exchanged a look, smiling gleefully. "Are you enjoyin' yourself, Makoto?" she asked, whispering.

"Yeah. Everyone seems really happy."

"I'm really happy, too." She winked at him, a secretive way of expressing her affection.

"Alright, Mitsuru!" said Yukari, congratulating her on her victory. "Just a little while longer and the girls will have beaten all the boys!

"Senpai, I wanna be king!" shouted Rise. 'C'mon, hurryyy!" She rubbed her hands together, licking her lips enthusiastically. "I got a good feeling about this one!"

"We'll just see if that good feeling checks out," said Yukiko, also preparing to draw her stick. "Because I'm gonna' be king this time!"

_Oh boy, friendly rivalries. My favorite kind. _He laughed a bit at the growing competition and reached out and drew his stick, dissatisfied by the fact that it said "6" and not "king." He looked around the circle, looking for the enthusiastic face of the king.

"Yeeessss!" shouted Rise, waving her hands in the air. "I'm the king!" She giggled, rubbing her hands together. "Let's seeeee, who shall I get?" She peeked around the circle, looking for numbers to call. "Let's seeeeeeeeeeeee. . ." she repeated, looking even more maniacal by the second. "Number . . . 5, has to let me sit on their lap for the rest of the King's Game!"

Yukiko cringed.

"I-I. . . Uhm, I'm number 5." As she said this, both their airs of enthusiasm disappeared. Rise slowly shuffled towards Yukiko, before awkwardly sitting down on her lap, hands rested on her knees. They looked totally uncomfortable, blushes rising to their cheeks.

"R-Rise-chan, that's not comfortable!" said Yukiko, fidgeting around.

"S-Sorry, Yukiko-senpai," said Rise as she adjusted her position on Yukiko's lap.

"Woohoo, the game's getting heated!" shouted Teddie. "Sensei, aren't you so glad we decided to play this?"

Yosuke and Yu nodded, Junpei and Ken joining in. "Very."

"Well, I guess it's time for round three!" said Fuuka, now suddenly interested in playing the game. She seemed really interested, which was strange, for a member of the opposite gender. "C'mon, everyone, pass the sticks in!"

"This is getting pretty intense. . ." Naoto wiped imaginary sweat off of her forehead as she jumbled the sticks up, once again passing them throughout the crowd.

"Hey, partner, what do you think you'll do if you get to be king?" Yosuke asked, directed at Narukami.

Narukami looked at his stick, and stood up.

"I guess we'll find out."

A chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs" broke out as he prepared to give his decree. Everyone knew that Yu took this game seriously, as he did everything else, so whatever he decreed would probably be pretty intense. He twirled his stick around in his hand, clearly showing off.

_Psshh. Not that cool, _thought Makoto, grumbling at the "9" on his stick. _I'll be king next time. _Labrys smiled at his evident frustration, waving a hand to him. He smiled back in a gentle fashion, happy that she was enjoying the game. "Having fun?" he whispered, trying not to distract Yu from his dramatic performance.

"Yeah. . . With these many colorful people playin' such a silly game, how could I not be havin' fun?" She laughed. Normally the two would be draped across each other, but they hadn't yet told their friend circle that they were together, at Labrys's insistence. She wasn't sure if she was ready for all of her friends to know that she and Makoto were together, or that she even had the nerve to have a boyfriend. And so, they acted like normal friends, trying to hide the chemistry between them.

"Yeah, guess so." He chuckled. "Let's see what the King says this time. . ."

"Seven," said Yu, holding the stick in a stationary position, "has to give me a back massage."

"Wait, wha-" said Yukari, as she stood up. "That's . . ."

"C'mon, Yuka-tan, you gotta' do it!" said Junpei, smiling widely. "To think she got picked! That's gold, man, that's gold!"

"N-No, I don't really-"

"The King's orders. . ." started Yu, silencing her protests.

"Are absolute!" was the chorus that followed his decision. Yu Narukami nodded with satisfaction.

"Ugh. . ." Yukari groaned, making her way over to the space behind Yu's seat. "I don't like this. . ." she said, before she started to massage Yu's back. He crossed his leg, sipping his refreshment dramatically. It almost looked like he had planned for this to happen.

"Grrr," grumbled Teddie, "why couldn't it be me!? Sensei, do you hate me!?"

"Yeah, senpai, no fair!" said Rise.

The next round started as Yukari shamefully walked back to her seat, a satisfied Yu Narukami sitting cross-legged in his chair. "Dude, you are too lucky! You just got your back massaged by a freakin' model!" said Yosuke, oogling. "Dude, you're my hero! Teach me how you do it, please!?"

Once again, the sticks were passed out. "Tsk" was the only sound Makoto released. This time he'd received 11. Kanji stood, pumping his fists. "Woo, I'm the King, baby!"

"Oh dear. . ." said Yukiko, still blushing from underneath Rise. "This one should be good, I conjecture. . . Kanji-ecture . . . . Kanj-ecture!" she said, reusing the same old joke. Still, she started laughing furiously, slapping her knees (and occasionally Rise's). "Kanj-ecture, that's too -" She stifled her own sentence with a massive burst of laughter, hurling Rise off of her.

"Ouch, Yukiko-senpai!" said Rise, puffing her cheeks out. "Careful!" She clambered back on top of her, Yukiko barely managing to stop laughing.

"U-Uhm. . . N-Number 3's gotta' give me a big ol' hug! N-Not that I care, of course! I mean, it could be their dog if they wanted!"

_Oh. So it's Koromaru he_ wants. Ken looked at his stick and at Koromaru. "Sorry, Tatsumi-san. It's not mine."

"Wait, what!?" shouted Yosuke, jumping up, hands on his stick. "No, Kanji, pick another number! Pick another number right now!" He said. "Anyone wanna' switch!?"_  
><em>

"The king's orders are absolute!" said everyone around them, much to their own dismay.

Kanji and Yosuke slowly stepped towards each other. "Uh, Yosuke-senpai-"

"Just. Do it, Kanji." Yosuke wiped an invisible tear from his eye. "Goodbye, innocence. . ."

The two embraced in what was quite possibly the most hesitant and awkward embrace ever. Labrys found herself laughing madly as the two complained in hushed whispers, even coming to blows once or twice.

"That's it, I want in!" shouted Teddie, tackling the two of them to the ground. "It's no fair that it's just you two!" He weaseled his way into the middle of the hug.

"Ted- What the hell d'ya think you're doing?" shouted Kanji, smacking him away.

"Kanji, how dare you!?" He wrestled his way in yet again, as the fight ensued on the other side of the room.

"Well, I guess it's time for the next round?" said Chie, looking away from the fight.

"Oooooh yeah," said Junpei, rubbing his hands against each other. "This time I'm sure I'm gonna' be King!"

"Don't be so sure, Iori-san," said Mitsuru, a fire in her eyes. "I shall be the King this time around!"

_The competition is getting pretty intense. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. . ._ thought Labrys, scratching her head as the sticks were passed around yet again.

Everyone drew their sticks. As Labrys drew hers, she noticed a little red mark on hers. "Hey, mine's got a little red thing. Does this make me the king?"

"Yay, Labby-chan!" said Teddie as he returned to the circle, fur heavily ruffled. He looked at his own stick, before continuing. "Hey, maybe you should give number 9 a smooooooch!" He puckered his lips. "I still haven't gotten a smooch from a hot babe yet! Wanna be the first!?"

Fuuka laughed. "Yeah, a smooooooch!" she said.

_Yeah, uh, not from Teddie. _Labrys laughed at the notion of Teddie trying to "smooch" her, even if he didn't know she had a boyfriend.

"That's not how the game works," said Naoto. "You've got to top what's already been done."

"Yeah, yeah!" Yukiko giggled. "You've gotta do something big!"

Labrys looked around, the crowd chanting. "Uh. . . okay? Number. . . 8?"

Makoto cleared his throat. _Well, I get to do something, even if it isn't the fun part. . . _He stood up, hands in his pockets. "Uh, so. . . what do I do, Labrys?"

"Whatever the king says to do!" said Yukari. "This should be good. Labrys, make sure it's something nice and terrible for our old leader!"

"Oh, oh, how about an embarrassing undying love confession!" said Rise, giggling. "I'm sure he'd never live that down!"

"Nonono, gotta' go bigger than that!" said Junpei. "Uh, punch him! Square in the face!"

Makoto waved his hands back and forth, denying the idea. "Make him buy you a life-time's supply of meat!" said Chie, practically salivating. "No, wait, don't do that! I want that for my turn!"

"Oh, maybe make him dress up in a funny costume and run around Gekkoukan Academy!" Ken laughed as he said that.

"Uh, Ken, I think he'd get arrested. . ." said Yukari, chuckling slightly. "Then again, that might be funny. . ."

"What if you took away his video game memberships for a month?" suggested Fuuka, a hand in the air.

Makoto looked visibly shaken at this notion.

With all the different suggestions in the air, Labrys was struggling to pick one. She exchanged a glance with Makoto, who smiled warmly, as if saying "I'll forgive whatever you do". She, too, smiled, once again amazed by her incredibly understanding boyfriend. _I'm really, really, really, really sorry about this. _

She raised her arm, pointed it at his face, and sent her fist flying.

"O-Oh my gosh!" shouted Yukari as Makoto landed on the floor with a thunk.

"H-Hey, dude, you okay? I-I didn't really mean it!" said Junpei, leaning forward to see if he was alright.

Labrys covered her mouth with her hands. "O-Oh crap, I didn't mean to hit that hard! Makoto, are you okay?" she said, kneeling over him as he sat up, rubbing his slightly reddened cheek. "Ohmygosh, I am so-so sorry!"

"Maybe it's time we stopped this king's game. . ." proposed Mitsuru.

"No." Makoto stood slowly, returning to his chair. "I . . . _will _be king."

His resolve was admirable.

* * *

><p>After the game had ended, Makoto still hadn't been graced with the red mark he desired. They'd spent many hours playing the game, but still, he was never King. Even after he was punched in the face, and sentenced to all kinds of torture through the game, he <em>still <em>wasn't king.

_I give up. This king's game was a failure. _

"Ahh, that was fun!" said Fuuka, clapping her hands together furiously. "Let's do it again sometime, alright!"

"I agree, Yamagishi," said Mitsuru. "That was an enjoyable exercise."

All those who had initially wanted to play were now sick of the game, having suffered fates unimaginably cruel. Yosuke shuddered visibly. "Yeah, I'd really rather not. . ." Makoto nodded, agreeing with him.

"I-I've seen things _no _man should see!" said Kanji, still shivering in the corner. In one round of the game, he was sentenced to "seven minutes in heaven" with Teddie.

He might not ever recover.

"Yeah, I had a lotta' fun," said Labrys. "Eh, sorry again, Makoto-kun."

"No problem," he said, smiling at her. Even though his cheek was swelling up a little, he was glad she had a good time. _As long as she had fun, I guess this party served its purpose. _Throughout the game, the smiles he saw on her face were worth all the punches, unnecessary hugs, piggy-back rides, and monetary losses combined. _I wonder if we'll ever tell anyone we're together. _

"Still, how'd it feel to get decked by Labrys, Makoto?" Yukari laughed at his expense. "Her hand must have hurt pretty bad."

"Yeah, she, like, rocket fired it at you!" said Ken, still in admiration. "That must've hurt even more than one of Sanada-san's punches!"

"Hey, I bet I could punch Makoto just as hard! Hey, Makoto, c'mere, let me punch you!" he said, upset that his manliness had been offended.

The circle of friends laughed at the antics that ensued afterwards. _Yeah, if I've got this many good friends, everything'll be perfect. . ._ Labrys thought to herself, as she looked to Makoto. She looked at his radiant smile, that she only saw when he was around her and his friends. A perfect smile. _Just perfect. _

* * *

><p>"That was a lot of fun, Makoto-san. Thanks for having us," said Yu as he and the last members of the Investigation Team left, leaving just Labrys and Makoto in his apartment. After all the birthday festivities had ended, they'd simply stuck around and played some video games for a while. Labrys was rather content with the fact that she was the third best person in the room, behind Makoto and Fuuka. She was actually surprisingly good, all things considered, though she did have a technological background.<p>

"Yeah, Makoto, it was a lot of fun," Labrys said, hugging him for the first time that day. It was reassuring to be held in his arms again. "King's Game was definitely my favorite part. I was pretty good at it, yeah?"

"Yeah, I guess. . . You know, except the whole punch-in-the-face bit." He smiled wryly, his cheek still pink.

"Would you rather have made a 'dramatic love confession'?" she asked, giggling. "I could've made you declare your undying love to Akihiko-san or Junpei-san.

"Well, when you put it like that, I'm glad. . ." He kissed her forehead.

Labrys laughed, pressing the side of her head against his chest. "We'll tell them soon. . . I promise."

"I don't mind," he said, resting his head atop hers. "As long as I can be with you, and you're happy, I'm happy."

She smiled, pulling away from the tender embrace. "C'mon, let's get a few practice rounds in," she said, heading towards the play station. "I wanna' be better than Fuuka-san by the next time we play together."

He sighed, chuckling as she prepared her controller and turned the console on. "You'll need to put a lot of work in, then."

"Yeah, but you're here to help me, right?" She blew an enticing kiss towards him, already getting the round started.

The couple practiced for hours on end, Labrys's determination like steel. The hours were hard and tiresome, but if she was happy, he was happy. _Always happy._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay, back to long ones! That was nice. SO MANY OTHER CHARACTERS. I feel like I neglected some of the fluff! And some of the other characters, but I went for the funniest ones. Was it funny?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Thanks, guys! Anyway, yay. Review and favorite if it's your favorite. Follow if I ran out of follow puns to use in Chapter 8 and you want to see if I ever come up with any more to use in Chapter 10. **

**Or if you just wanna' read more. Also, the next prompt is wearing animal ears. . **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Me a few days ago: "ALRIGHT, LET'S GO. DAILY UPDATES."**

**Schedule: "No. you will have work. loser."**

**Me: "O-Oh."**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Sorry I haven't updated! OhmylordIsuck. I'm TRYING THOUGH. MAYBE I WON'T BE BUSY SOON.**

**Anyways, today's prompt isn't making out like I thought it was, it's actually "with animal ears". You have no idea how hard it was to come up with situations in which a robot and her introverted boyfriend would wear animal ears. In fact, as I type this, I'm not even sure what I'm going to do. BUT I'M TRYING. **

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

><p>"Sensei, that's so not cool! How could you do this to me!?" said Teddie as he ran around Yu Narukami, trying to grab the bear suit he was dangling above his head. Yosuke had developed a sort of Keep-Away game as a punishment for Teddie slacking off of work, so now everyone was trying to keep it away from him. It had changed hands beteen everyone several times now, and Teddie was getting no better at getting it from them. It was beginning to become less like punishment and more like torture.<p>

"Labrys, your turn!" he said, tossing the suit towards her. She caught it, laughing and running away from Teddie as he chased after her in his human form.

"Labby-chan, how could you!? I thought I was your kniiiiight!" he said, tripping over himself several times.

Despite what you would think from a boy who lived in a bear costume with stubby little legs, he was actually pretty quick. Not quick enough to keep up with Labrys, but almost quick enough. "Labby-chan, I've gotta' get my fur back! I can beeeaaarly stand how cold it is!" He sounded pitiful. "Labby-chaaaaaan! Why won't you help your Teddie in shining armor?"

She sighed, laughing as she turned around and held the suit out to him. _Teddie's had enough now, and I gotta' go tell _him _about his break_. "Okay, but just this once. Ya' gotta' work for Yosuke-kun if you don't want us to take it again, ya'hear?"

He smiled radiantly now that his demands had been met. "You got it, Labby-chan! I'll work extra hard!" He sprinted off into Junes, yelling a battle cry that could shake the heavens. Of course, Teddie's not-so-intimidating appearance made that harder.

Labrys laughed as she continued through the store, looking for a certain someone in particular. _We came all the way out here for vacation and all he's done is work the whole time. . . He's gotta' lighten up a bit. _

Mitsuru decided it would be nice if everyone got a couple weeks of the holiday season off. With that extra vacation time, everyone decided that spending some time in Junes at the Amagi Inn sounded like a pretty nice vacation. With the Shadow Operatives running about _and_ the Investigation Team off school, it was a bunch of shenanigans waiting to happen.

After Yosuke heard they were in town, he was really enthusiastic to get everyone together for a "shopping spree" in Junes to celebrate their vacation. Naturally, everyone agreed. Only afterwards did they realize Yosuke's "invitation" for special backstage access was actually just him begging for them to work in the store for the week.

"C'mon, guys, Junes is gonna be packed! The Winter sale is one of our most popular events!" said Yosuke, on his knees. "You've gotta' help me!"

And so everyone, even the Shadow Operatives, agreed to put some work in. _I'm getting paid, too, so I don't mind. _She got to spend time with her friends, for money? Sounded like a pretty nice gig. Even if she couldn't think of any immediate use for the money, maybe she could use it to buy something nice in the future.

She rounded the corner, where she saw the person she was looking for stocking shelves. The Junes uniform made him look far different than he normally did as he placed food articles on the shelves, blue hair clashing with the orange t-shirt and red and white apron. He was taking his work a lot more seriously than everyone else, which was a good thing for the most part; that said, Labrys sort of wanted him to cut loose and have some fun. His bored and serious expression was almost painful to look at while she was having so much fun.

She walked up behind him, covering his eyes with her hands. "Guess whoooooo?"

He smiled wryly, immediately recognizing the cold feeling of her uncovered fingers. He still wanted to have a little fun with her, though. "Mitsuru."

"Guuueeess again!" she said, giggling.

"Yukari."

"Nooope!"

"Uhm. . . Junpei?"

She inflated her cheeks, taking her hands off his eyes. "No, it's me!" She pretended to pout as if she was angry

He laughed. "I know, I know," he said, turning to face her with a quick kiss, which she responded too pretty well. Immediately after it was over, though, she went back to her pouting expression.

She kept her fake pouting face up for a brief moment, before laughing as well. "Hey, I finally get to see you and that's all you got?" She giggled, taking his hands in hers and swinging her arms. "You got a lot more work to do? Yosuke wanted to let everyone take a lunch break in the food court before the lunch rush hits."

He nodded, putting a couple more boxes on the shelf. Labrys, deciding to make the work go faster, started helping him out. He was really efficient with this kind of thing. "You're really workin' hard, huh?"

"Guess so," he said, smiling with the corner of his mouth as he put another box on the shelves. "I've had a lot of practice."

"How so?"

"Paperwork," he said, as if the word came from the depths of hell. "Do we even have time for a break?"

They'd been there for a couple of hours now, but hardly any work had gotten done. Along with the Teddie antics, lots of other games had been played that day, mostly involving the sillier members of their combined groups. That said, they were a little behind on work. _If we don't finish everything, nothing will get done anyways. . ._

Labrys frowned, placing the last of the boxes on the shelf. "C'mon, Makoto, you need to let loose for a bit! Nobody got anywhere by workin' forever, yeah? You gotta have fun on your vacation."

"Well, I'm not on vacation right now, I'm work-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" she said, putting one of her metal digits on his lips. "No complainin'. You're gonna' take a break and like it, got it?"

He smiled, pulling her hand away from his mouth. "Sure, sure." _I guess a break couldn't hurt too much. _

"Alright, let's go!" She tugged on his hand and started leading him towards the food court, running enthusiastically.

She really didn't play around when it came to spending time with her friends. They ran through the winding aisles of Junes, not slowing down for even a moment. For her, it wasn't tiring at all, but Makoto was having some difficulty keeping up. Still, he smiled at her enthusiasm. She really just wanted to spend time with everyone and have fun. Her innocence was always astonishing, even if she was supposed to be working.

"Hey, there you guys are!" she said as the made it to the food court, Makoto panting behind her. He took a moment to catch his breath, before taking a seat at one of the tables in the food court. "Sorry, Makoto was bein' a fuddy duddy and wanted to finish his work." She playfully stuck her tongue out at him, to which he responded by reciprocating the gesture. "So what's for lunch?" she said, taking a seat next to Makoto.

He looked at his watch, growing concerned with the time. _We might not get to finish up before the rush hits, _he said, tapping his foot impatiently. The Winter sale was surely going to be popular, and if they didn't use all the time they had, Yosuke (and everyone else there by extension) would be getting a pay dock. Once again, he looked to his watch, but he found his arm being grabbed by an outside force.

As he expected, it was Labrys. "Everything's gonna' be fine. Relax, alright?" she said, with a warm and gentle smile.

That warm and gentle smile compelled him to forget all his worries, despite the nagging feelings at the back of his head.

Several minutes of mere idle conversation passed, questions circulating throughout the group as they waited for Yosuke. Makoto found his attention drawn to Labrys, staring at her face. He wanted to appreciate every minute of her simple happiness. Something about seeing her happy made him ecstatic, like he was doing a good job as her lover. Each of her smiles seemed to slow the world down, so that he could stare at them until his heart was content.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, tilting her head. "You're a little spacey. Not thinkin' about work, are you?"

He shook his head. "Just happy."

Yosuke, deciding to interrupt the moment, ran into the food court, Teddie on his tail. "No way, Ted, no way am I wearing that!"

"Noooo, Yosuke! This is payback for what you did to my fur!" Teddie was holding something, chasing after Yosuke with a vengeance. "I'm gonna' get you, Yosuke! You can't run forever!"

"Hey- It wasn't just me, Ted! Everyone had a bit of a part in it, go get them!" he said, waving his arms around as if Teddie was a swarm of flies.

"But it was your idea, Yosuke! And I'm gonna' get them too! Just after I get you!" Teddie finally caught up to Yosuke, who released an angered groan. An intense struggle broke out on the floor of the food court, that looked like it could easy cause some casualties if anyone else got sucked in. Of course, it was just Teddie, so no real harm was done.

"Uh, Makoto, d'you know what's goin' on?" asked Labrys, looking towards him.

He looked just as confused as she did, so no, he probably didn't.

When Yosuke emerged from the residual cloud of smoke left over from their epic struggle, he had been adorned with some cat ears and three whiskers on either cheek. He pulled at them desperately, but they wouldn't come off. "Wh-What the hell, Ted! They won't come off!"

"I used this stuff from the storage in the back!" he said as he held up a tube of industrial-strength super glue.

While Yosuke came to terms with his imminent hair loss, Teddie locked onto his next target.

"Makoto!" he said, slapping a pair of blue ears onto Makoto's head behind his back. In the same instant, some whiskers were placed on his cheeks and he was given a cute little button nose, not unlike Teddie's. He didn't really resist; if anything, he thought it would be funny. But still. . .

"Teddie, Makoto didn't do anything," said Labrys as Teddie finished his makeup job. "And I'm not really fond of the idea of havin' to cut those things outta' his hair."

"Oh, I know! I just think everyone should wear some." He blushed, turning his face away. "Besides, I only used the glue for Yoooosukeeeee's. . ."

"Wh- Ted, I am so gonna' get you!" he said, chasing after Teddie once again.

Makoto turned to look at Labrys, curious as to how she'd respond to his brand new "makeover". If he looked half as ridiculous as he thought it, her reaction would be priceless.

Her expression meant it was promising. She could barely manage to keep her laughter in, it occasionally bursting through her lips as she tried to stay quiet. "So how do I look?" he asked, making some feisty cat claws as he let out his best fake growl.

Labrys couldn't contain her laughter anymore. It burst out, echoing throughout the food court as she laughed at her boyfriend's expense. "Y-You look . . . great," she said, barely managing to finish the sentence without laughing. "R-Really nice!"

He chuckled. "So should we keep it?"

She laughed yet again. Labrys nodded furiously, not capable of forming coherent sentences through her laughter. It certainly didn't help that Makoto was milking the cat appearance to the best of his ability. Occasionally he licked his hand, pretending to groom himself as she laughed, only causing her to laugh harder. She could barely take her eyes off how silly he looked.

"Lllllllabby-chan!" said Teddie, running up behind her rapidly while simultaneously avoiding the new onslaught of eared followers out for revenge. This time, it was her who was surprisingly equipped with a whitish blue pair of dog ears and a distinctly dog-like nose. Before she could even dispute it, Teddie was off into the wind, running away from Yosuke while adorning more members of the group with animal ears of different varieties.

Deciding it was better not to question it, Labrys laughed, playing with her newly acquired ears as they flopped around her head. "Where d'ya think he gets all this stuff, anyway?"

Makoto shrugged. "No idea. We are in a department store, after all." He smiled, admiring his girlfriend's new animal appearance. It was silly and immature, but kind of endearing and cute in a way. She actually pulled the ears off pretty well. He could picture her wearing them more often, though he wasn't sure how that would blow over in a work environment, or a casual one, for that matter. Anything looked nice on her, though. She really did look cute in anything she wore. _I'm a lucky guy. _

He found himself distracted from what was going on around him, absorbed in his observations of his girlfriend. She snapped her "fingers" in front of his face, releasing a 'cling!' sound of sorts. "Hey, Makoto, you're gettin' awful distracted. You sure you're alright?"

"Sorry, sorry," he said. "You're just so cute in those ears, I can barely focus."

Her face started to flush red. "Y-You think so?. . . Th-They're kinda' . . . silly," she said, twiddling with the tip of the ears.

"Definitely. It's the cutest thing I've ever seen." He was partially teasing her and partially stating his opinion. It really was adorable in every sort of way. Now that she was embarrassed, it really was the cutest thing ever. "I could look at it forever."

"C'mon, stop it. . . I-It's embarrassing. . ."

He poked her cheek, releasing a fake "meow", which elicited a nervous giggle from Labrys. "You're a pretty adorable cat, too, Makoto," she said, with a fake bark to counter his meow.

"Really? I'm flattered," he said, kissing her cheek as he leaned towards her.

She laughed, pressing her forehead against his. "Y'know, even though we're supposed to be working, I love these kinda' things."

"Like what?" he said, rubbing his fake nose against her fake nose to mimic animals. She laughed.

"Just, time I get to spend with everyone . . . and with you. It's the best. I just . . . I love it all."

Makoto smiled a genuinely warm smile. He was now satisfied with his break. "Alright, I should get back to work."

"But. . ." She released some whiny dog-like noises. "Can't you stay on break for just a little while longer?"

"Look over there." Behind him, Teddie, Yosuke and Chie were fighting to the death over the whole ear dispute. Chie wasn't very comfortable with the bunnie ears (and tail, mainly) that Teddie had put on her without her permission. A flurry of angry kicks were being sent his way as he pleaded his case. "If I leave it to them, nothing'll get done."

"Fine, fiiine. But at least let me help, 'kay?" she said, standing up with her boyfriend's assistance. "If you're gonna' work, you're gonna' have to put up with me."

"That might not be-"

She silenced his protests with her finger, as she was so fond of doing. "Shhhhhh. You're gonna' work with me and you're gonna' like it, 'kay?"

Makoto never though he'd like the idea of getting back to work, but this time, it seemed like a genuinely good idea.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woo, update! That one was fun. **

**Other characters are fun to write and read about, don't you think?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Great! But I've been neglecting the main relationship lately, or so I think, so the next bunch of chapters are probably going to be super fluff again. If you don't like that, sorry!**

**Next prompt is wearing kigurumis. Yay for animal related prompts! **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Another weird prompt today, wearing kigurumis. For those of you that don't know, a kigurumi is a one-piece animal suit, like pajamas. But with more animals. If you don't know what it is, search it up! Don't you love the internet, audience?**

**Audience: "You suck." **

**Aww, me too. Anyways, on with the story! **

* * *

><p><em>Hi, Labby-chan! <em>

_Yosuke told me no one would like this idea was silly, but I wanted to do it anyways. Yosuke just can't stop the Teddie train! I'm hiding from him right now, but don't worry! He's too dumb to find me! _

_Anyway, I'm BEAR-y glad you took the time to read this letter! I'm writing this letter because __I had a super good idea! I think Junes should sell these Teddie-themed kigurumis, but Yosuke won't let me pitch the idea to our boss! It's just too cruel, isn't it!? He never lets me share my ideas with anybeardy. Even though they're waaay smarter than Yosuke's ideas. _

_Anyway, I want you and the rest of the girls to try on the kigurumis and tell me how they look. I know you just can't BEAR to wait anymore! I even sent an extra one, just in case you want one to keep! And maybe, in return, you can repay me with a smooooooch?_

_Love and love and love and love and smooches,_

_Teddie, the Useful Bear! _

Labrys put the letter down, laughing after reading its contents. "He really is a silly bear, isn't he?" She looked down at the package that had arrived on her doorstep, with the letter tied to it. If the letter was any indication to what was inside, it would be a pretty fun present to play around with. _I wonder if it's any good. _Shrugging, she tore it open, grabbing the contents inside. Inside, just as the letter implied, was a pair of Teddie-themed kigurumis. They were actually pretty well made, upon further inspection. _He musta' gotten Kanji-kun to help out with this, _she mused, admiring the craftsmanship of the Teddurumi. _I'll have to compliment him next time I see him. _

_It couldn't hurt to try it on, could it? _she thought, looking at the time. Makoto didn't get off work until a little while later, so she had some time until their plans for later that day. _And it's just so cute. . . How could I say no? _

She changed into the Teddurumi, rather fascinated by just how accurate it was. It didn't look like Teddie's actual suit, but it very closely resembled up, even down to the zipper and buttons on the front, with the gold lining around the hood. She giggled at herself as she pawed at the ears on the top of her head, admiring herself in the mirror as she mimicked some Teddie faces. "It's beary nice t'meet ya'!" she said, laughing a little bit as she made fun of his trademark bear puns. "Bearsona!" she said, now making fun of the way he summoned his persona, swiping one of the fake paws out in front of her. She probably wouldn't ever wear this in front of another person, but since it was just her and the mirror, she didn't really mind. _Maybe I will keep one of these. . ._ She imitated Teddie flexing his arms to prepare for a fight, giggling the whole while. "Grr!" Her fake growl could easily intimidate the toughest of opponents.

You know, if the opponents in question were small kids. Without any combat experience. And overactive imaginations.

The door clicked open. "Hey, Labrys, I got off early today-"

Silence was the only sound in the room after that as Makoto blinked, astounded by the sight in front of him.

Makoto walked into the room, without knocking, to find his girlfriend playfully posing around her ax while examining herself in the mirror. And was she wearing . . . a kigurumi? And why did it look so familiar? _Is that . . . Teddie? _She was in the middle of a pose in which she was leaning on her ax, using it to prop herself up as she bent a knee behind her back, the floppy Teddie paw managing to make the image even more adorable. With one of the paws on her lip, she tried on several different facial expressions. That is, until she noticed Makoto was there. After that, the only expression on her face was one of pure shock and embarrassment.

He couldn't quite piece together exactly how adorable what he was looking at was. Sure, he'd seen her in a lot of different situations, all of which more beautiful than the last, but this was quite easily the most vulnerable he'd ever seen her. The light pink clouds beginning to form on her cheeks, the growing startled expression, the baggy kigurumi accentuating her figure (albeit metal) perfectly, lining every curve, along with the silly poses, and this was easily a sight a man could ask for as a last wish.

_I think I see the light._

"U-Uh, Makoto, what're ya' doin' here?" she said, holding the ax in front of her, partially to hide the costume and partially to hide the blush dusting her cheeks. "Y-You don't get off for another half hour, right?" She checked the time on her cell phone, and sure enough, he was supposed to be working. Why he decided to stop by, she had no idea.

"Yeah, Mitsuru gave me the rest of the day off, since there wasn't any paperwork left. . ." He peeked around the ax, to savor what his girlfriend was wearing. He didn't want to miss a single second of this wonderful occasion. "That's a nice outfit you're wearing."

"I-I'm just . . . doin' a favor for Teddie, y'know? H-He wanted me to try this on and see how it looks, uh. . . So I wanted to help him out." She tried to stammer out any kind of reasoning to make the situation less embarrassing. She'd worn animal ears in front of Makoto, but a full-blown animal suit resembling a store mascot was a bit much to hope he wouldn't laugh at. _This is so embarrassing!_

"It looks adorable."

The light blush on her cheeks slowly evolved into a deeper and darker red. "Wh-What?"

"You're adorable," he said, now directly complimenting her. "The suit helps, but it's mostly you."

Once again a deeper shade of red adorned her face. "U-Uhm. . ." She cleared her throat, slowly moving her ax aside. "Y-You think so?"

He nodded once. "The kigurumi is really nice. If a little . . . unique," he said, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. Labrys always found herself happy whenever he laughed like that. Even if it was usually directed at her embarrassment.

She put her ax down, holding her elbow insecurely. Even if he was fine with it, she still felt a little silly that he had to see her trying it on while making stupid poses. "I-I'm glad you think so. . . Uh, I'll tell Ted that you like it." She cleared her throat once again, barely managing to make eye contact with her boyfriend. It had been a long time since she'd been so nervous around him, as if he just walked in on her committing a crime. _I must look so stupid right now. . . _She mentally smacked her forehead. Makoto frowned._  
><em>

"Hey, is there another one in there?" he asked, poking his foot at the box in front of him. Sure enough, when he popped it open the other Teddurumi was inside. It was slightly larger than the previous one, perhaps to accommodate for some potential incorrect sizes, just in case. Still, Makoto held it up, analyzing it in the light of the room.

"Uh, Teddie just sent an extra in case we wanted one to keep, y'know?" She flopped her arms about awkwardly, the extra weight at the end of her "paws" resulting in some silly motions. "I-It's kinda' cute, after all." For the third time, she cleared her throat, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

"Hm." He nodded, and put his idea into motion. He started to put on the suit.

"H-Hey, uh, Makoto? What're ya' doin'?" she asked, turning away from him as he started to pull it on over his clothes. "Y-You don't have t' do that. . ."

"I want to," he said, struggling to fit inside. It was clearly made for a woman, but he managed to work his way around the small suit. The three huge buttons on the front _were _a little cumbersome, though. Finally, he pulled all his arms through, although certain sections of the suit were a bit large for him. _Alright, let's see how this goes. . ._

"You can look," he said, and she turned around to be greeted by one of the best sights she'd ever seen.

The suit looked completely out of place on Makoto. In fact, she could imagine it on anyone other than him. But here he was, wearing it, bear-ing it for Labrys to see. It was pretty clear that he wasn't wearing it purely as a fashion choice. She started to laugh at him, astounded by ridiculous figure in front of her. He wiggled the paws around, making some stereotypical bear poses.

"I'm a useful bear!" he said, doing his best Teddie impression. Labrys's laughs grew stronger as she started to forget her own embarrassment and focus more on her boyfriend's. Several more poses came her way, along with some intimidating growls and dramatic combat dialogue. He even faked fighting a Shadow, having a sissy-claw fight with the air in front of him. He looked so absolutely ridiculous that even a complete stranger would be hysterical. Labrys someone who knew how calm and collected this person was, couldn't manage to stop laughing at how stupid he looked.

After she managed to calm down, he sat down on the bed next to her, wrapping a Teddie-laden arm around her shoulder. "You really are adorable."

She giggled. "I may be adorable, but you're even _more _adorable." She poked his nose, managing to get one of those light chuckles that she so adored. _  
><em>

"Not possible." He leaned forward and kissed her, wrapping his paws around her back as they leaned further back in the bed, laying side by side in a warm embrace. After a passionate kiss, the pair broke apart.

Labrys smiled, pressing her forehead against his. "You really don't think it looks stupid?"

"You look amazing in anything." He put both his paws on the sides of her face, pressing her cheeks together. "Absolutely adorable."

She laughed, pushing his arms aside. "Stop, stop!" Her giggles defied her protests, however, as he continued to tease her with the Teddie paws. "Thanks."

"What for?" he asked, placing his arms back around her neck as he pulled her closer.

"You know what I mean. Thanks for bein' so silly to cheer me up. Even if you did look kinda' stupid."

"Anything for you." They exchanged yet another kiss of pure affection, only focused on the bear-clad person next to them. If anything, the matching silly costumes made it more adorable.

"This reminds me of my first time in your apartment," she said, snuggling up against him. "The two of us layin' together, not a care in the world. . . Of course, without the bear suits that time." She rested her head on his chest.

"Well, maybe we should do it more often."

She laughed, before the pink started to rise to her cheeks again. "You know, Makoto. . . I-I know you've got work and all, but. . . I-I'd really like it if you stayed here tonight. . . A-And we could do that again. . . Just be together, y'know?"

He smiled, kissing her forehead. "I'd love to, but I've got some work to do for Mitsuru. . ."

Labrys stared up to him with the kind of expression that could guilt trip a convicted criminal. "Pleeeaaase?" she said, her voice too adorable to deny.

Makoto sighed, and pulled out his phone. "Junpei will just have to do it for me this time. The things I do. . ."

Labrys smiled, drawing her boyfriend even closer than before, burying her face in his neck. She planted a quick kiss on his cheek, smiling widely. "I love you."

Once again, he pulled her in for a kiss with the big bear paws. "And I love you too, Labrys," he whispered as they pulled apart. "You, and your bear suit."

Once again, she giggled, pulling the blanket up over the duo. "Don't get used to it."

"Well, if you wear yours, I'll wear mine," he said.

". . . Then maybe I'll consider it. But first, let's get one that fits, alright?"

"If you say so," he said, closing his eyes. _I must look ridiculous, _he thought.

. . . _But I guess I don't mind. _

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Pretty short one this time, but that's because I couldn't really think of much to flesh this out with. Either way, the NEXT one should be pretty amazing. **

**Audience: "You suck."**

**I love you all! Anyways, hopefully the next one is long enough to keep everyone happy. It's MAKING OUT, so it's gonna' be pretty fluffy. So if you don't like fluff, bear with me! (It is a fluffy story, though. So, uh, read it if you like fluff.) **

**Favorite and review if it's your favorite! Follow if there's a trail of ants coming out of your pic-a-nic basket and you want to find out where they're going so you can exact revenge for your picnic and get all your food back. **

**Or if you just wanna' read more. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: It's gettin' hot in here. But keep your clothes on!**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Anyways, today's prompt is "making out". Yay, fun. I've been kind of excited and kind of fearful of writing this one, but I think I did kind of okay with it. Don't you?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Wow, two today! Anyway, please enjoy the story! Or don't if you don't. But I won't like it. Grrrrrr. (jkily)**

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><p>Once again, Labrys found herself in front of the TV in Makoto's apartment, whittling away at the health of her current opponent in the fighting game. She was slowly getting better at the game, with her own work ethic and all the training sessions with Makoto. She'd gotten good enough that, occasionally, when he was playing a character he knew nothing about, she would beat him. Whether or not he let her win, she would never know. The round ended with her finally emerging the victor against the computer opponent as she let out a sigh of relief, returning to the main menu to check out some challenge modes. Before making her selection, she turned to look at her boyfriend, frowning at his expression.<p>

Lately, he'd been doing a lot of paperwork. Unreasonably high amounts of paperwork, he would say. For the past couple of weeks, when Labrys would come over, they wouldn't even have any time to do anything. By the time he finished, he was too exhausted to actually get anything fun done. Today was another one of those days, as he chewed on his lower lip, typing intensely. Labrys's frown grew more intense at his increasing work load. _I wonder why he's got so much work. . . You'd think Mitsuru'd cut 'em some slack from time to time._

Work wasn't usually as backed up as it was that day. There was just a particular incident that Mitsuru needed some help filing work for. Even as he refreshed his inbox between signing papers or filing requests, more jobs filled his inbox, just waiting to be dealt with. As he knocked one out, another two came to take its place. It was an endless cycle of work. Makoto normally had no trouble with extra work on other nights, but after three days in a row, he was getting tired. No time for fun or anything, just work. It was torture. _I'm almost done. . . Almost. _

Knowing it would probably be better to leave him be than try to console him, Labrys turned back towards the console, deciding to play another round. She couldn't focus on the task at hand, though, as her thoughts drifted towards the man in the chair behind her. Once again, she turned to look at him and grew yet more distressed at his worried and tired expression. Even though she wanted to leave him alone. . . _Maybe he just needs somethin' to cheer him up. _She paused the game and stood up, walking over towards him. _I've pulled him outta' a funk like this before, after all. _She briefly contemplated on all the times in the past she'd managed to get him to step away from work. Even if it usually caused trouble in the long run.

He didn't notice her approach, but as soon as he felt the pair of arms wrap around his neck as she rested her head on his shoulder, he knew what she was going to say. "Y'know, it's okay to take a break every now and then." She kissed his cheek. "Mitsuru's not gonna' get mad if you take a break. You deserve it."

He let out a sigh of both comfort and frustration. He reached up and took one of Labrys's hands, holding it in his as he clicked around the screen. "I've only got a bit more work to do tonight. Then we can do something."

"Promise?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He remained silent. "Just a bit more. I'll get it done. Thanks for checking up on me."

"No problem." Though, what Labrys saw on the screen showed the truth of the matter. He wasn't even done with half of the work he had ousted on him for tonight. _He's gonna' be up for forever. _"But. . . At least let me help. C'mon, Makoto, you're doin' it again."

"Doing what?"

"Runnin' yourself into the ground." She walked over to his bed and sat down, patting the surface next to her. "If you don't slow down for a bit you're gonna' burn out. We've talked about this before."

"If I don't finish this paperwork, the only thing that's going to burn out is my bank account." His eyes were still glued to the screen as Labrys's concern grew even further. "Labrys, I really appreciate your help, but I've just got to finish tonight. It's important."

"C'mon, Mitsuru's a reasonable woman. Can't ya' ask her for a favor or somethin'? I'm sure she'd let up on you." She shot him a comforting smile, but he was still looking at the screen as a sigh of tiredness escaped his lips. "Maybe a day off or somethin'?"

"I dunno'. . . Mitsuru has pretty high standards when it comes to-"

"Shh." She interrupted him, holding a finger out towards him to silence his stubborn protests as she normally did. _She's gotten good at that . ._ He chuckled silently to himself. _I guess that's my fault. _"You're gonna' take a break. You need one, and I want to spend some time together."

Makoto sighed yet again. He spun in his chair to face Labrys, uncrossing his legs as he went to stand. He sat down next to her, slightly disappointed that he'd have to work longer into the night now. But still, he'd be lying if he said that having his girlfriend in his apartment and not being able to do anything with her wasn't torturous. _Maybe a break is in order. . . I'll give myself 10 minutes. _

Labrys smiled, taking a hold of his hand. "See, was that so hard?"

"Guess not," he said, reciprocating her gentle smile. It was the kind of comfort he needed on days like this. It managed to pull him out of the same-old same-old and rejuvenate his spirit, if only for a brief amount of time._  
><em>

"You've been workin' really hard lately, Makoto. Don't you ever get any vacation time?" She bounced up and down on his bed in the idle fashion she'd grown used to, enjoying the cushion-like bouncy feeling it caused.

"It's normally not this backed up. . . Mitsuru's having some difficulty filling some requests from the higher ups right now. Naturally, that extra work falls to me. . ."

"Can't Akihiko-san or Fuuka-san help ya' out with it? I'm sure they'd lend ya' a hand." She squeezed his own hand reassuringly, as a means of comforting him. He responded positively, squeezing back.

"They're pretty busy too." He yawned, before covering his mouth with his other hand. _I can't get tired. Still have work to do. . ._

"Hmm. . . Wanna' play a game?" she asked, pointing to the TV. "Maybe it'll get your mind off work."

He looked at the TV and the controller in the chair, before slowly shaking his head. "Sorry Labrys, but I'm too tired for games. . . Maybe I should just get back to work."

Labrys frowned as he stood and started walking towards his computer. She tugged him back, not letting go of his hand. "Hey. . . Let me help out if you need it, alright?"

He nodded, before letting go of her hand and sitting down in the chair at his desk yet again. The clicking and typing sounds began almost immediately after he sat down, his fingers tapping away at the keyboard and mouse. His eyes looked kind of dull and tired.

Labrys went back to playing the game on the TV, but her results were relatively poor. For the time being, all she could think about was Makoto, and not in the positive way she was used to. She was worried. Even if she knew he was perfectly reasonable and probably very capable of keeping up with this work, she still couldn't shake the fear that he would burn out if he kept working this hard. And, she partially just wanted to spend time with him. Even if it was selfish, she just wanted Makoto to herself for a bit. . .

She continued playing, but it was more muscle memory than actual conscious effort. Her thoughts danced around at potential ways to cheer up her boyfriend. _Maybe I can take him out tomorrow to get his mind off things? Or get him a nice present. . . Or talk to Mitsuru about getting some of his work load lifted? _She groaned internally, frustration growing.

"Labrys." The voice shook her out of her dazed state as she spun around, raising an eyebrow quizzically in Makoto's direction.

"What's up?" she asked, a slight hint of hope in her tone. _Did he finish? __  
><em>

"It's getting kind of late. You can go to bed if you want."

She looked at the time. True to his words, it was really late. Three o'clock in the morning, almost. He had started working around eight. "Alright. . . But on one condition."

"And what's that?" he asked, already assuming the answer.

"You've gotta' come with me."

He was right. "Labrys, I've still got a lot more work to do."

"Well, you'll just have to get it done tomorrow. I'll talk to Mitsuru about it, promise." She crossed her arms triumphantly, heading over to the bed, not awaiting an answer.

He sighed, knowing better than to argue with her. He tabbed out of all his documents and hopped up from his chair, making his way towards the bed. Without bothering to change, he crawled in, wrapping himself in the blanket as Labrys snuggled in next to him, wrapping her arms around his back. He reciprocated the gesture. Despite his earlier protests, he was actually pretty happy that Labrys had forced him to get away from work. He wanted to spend time with her. All this extra work meant he'd been neglecting her a bit lately, and she was far more important to him than any job or request from the "higher ups". Even if his responsible side was screaming at him to go back to the computer, his loving boyfriend side told him this was the better thing to do. He liked the latter side more.

"You know I'm not tryin' to do anythin' wrong, right?" she asked, her concern evident. "I'm just worried. . . You've been workin' so hard lately, it just gets to me. . ."

He smiled for the first time in a while, running a hand through her hair. "It's okay. I appreciate it." He kissed her forehead, smiling as warmly as he was capable of mustering. "I really do."

"Good. . ." She snuggled up against his chest. "I just don't want you to have to work so hard for no reason, y'know?" She looked up at his face, eyes pleading. "We never get to spend any time together. . . I just sorta' miss you, y'know?" He felt a twang of guilt at those pleading eyes, knowing that whatever was in them was his fault.

He kissed her with a passion he didn't think he was that capable of mustering. "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." He pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. "I'm yours, forever."

Several seconds passed in the darkness.

"H-Hey. Makoto?" she asked, voice shaking with nervousness.

He opened his eyes.

Strangely, he wasn't greeted by a question, but Labrys kissing him. It wasn't a totally unfamiliar feeling, but it was a different kind of kiss than the ones he was used to at this point. It was . . . desperate. Raw, was another word he'd use to describe it. Passionate. It was completely out of left field, for several reasons. In fact, Makoto was pretty sure that was the first time Labrys had ever initiated the kiss and not been on the receiving end. She pulled back slightly, as if seeking approval for her actions. It wasn't even fair at that point. The nervous, yet lustful look in her eyes combined with the light blush dusting her cheeks was too much for any man to bare.

Makoto pulled her closer, this time joining her in the passionate, desperate movements. His heart raced as he ran his hands along her back, kissing her as if this would be his last chance. It felt as if some external force was hanging over them, compelling the pair to exchange these passionate kisses. He felt her hands running along his neck, the slight cold feeling of her metal digits sending shivers he could only describe as amazing down his back. He surrendered to his primal desires and let his hands caress her, kissing her in a way he'd never even imagined before. He felt his tongue flit inside and out of her mouth, barely able to control his own actions. He didn't need to, though; anything he did was welcomed with open arms by Labrys.

Labrys felt his hands running along her sides and her arms, the sensation completely foreign to her. No person had ever touched this much of her, but she surrendered herself to him entirely. She let herself fall completely into the action, no longer caring about being parts or metal. She could _feel _his skin on her, his mouth on hers. And she wanted to savor that. She ran a hand through his hair desperately, as Makoto rolled on top of her, kissing as passionately as she possibly could. Their tongues danced within each others' mouths, in a way that Labrys could only describe as instinctive. Every millisecond of pleasure felt like an eternity as he coated her entire body with his hands, covering almost every crevasse with his affection. There was no part of her that wasn't being showered in love.

They broke apart for a few seconds, Makoto panting heavily. Labrys didn't have to, but she was letting out short, ragged breaths. "Makoto," she said, not really sure how to finish the sentence. Her feelings at the particular moment were overwhelming. "I love you," she said, pulling him closer for yet another kiss.

This time, it was her turn. She rolled on top of him, being sure not to put too much pressure on him. She wanted him to savor this as much as she did, so now, she was going to shower him in affection. She ran her hands down his legs, up his chest, through his hair, down his face. . . Not a single place survived her onslaught. And it felt amazing for both of them.

They slowly, mutually separated, slowly opening their eyes to stare at their significant other in the universe. "Labrys. . . I love you too."

She felt her eyes welling up with tears of joy. Joy at being lucky enough to have met and fallen in love with someone as perfect as the man in front of her. She collapsed onto him, hugging him with all the force she could muster. He hugged her back, and for a brief several moments the couple sat there, simply enjoying the embrace. Reluctantly, she rolled off of him, facing towards him. He was still breathing raggedly, as if they'd never stopped.

". . . That was fun," was the only thing Labrys could think of to say, giggling madly like a young schoolgirl.

"Yeah," he said, taking her hand in his. "Who needs work?" He laughed alongside her as he tried to catch his breath.

"See? Breaks are always good things." She took both of his hands in hers.

"Labrys, I love you," he said yet again, overcome with the urge. "I love you more than anything." He continued, as if he couldn't say it enough. "I'm so sorry. . ."

"What for?"

"I've just been horrible lately. . . We haven't gotten to do anything-"

"Shhh," she said, with her trademark finger over his lips. "You're amazing. If anything, I'm the lucky one. . ." She pulled him closer for just one more passionate kiss.

He didn't quite know what to say. "I must be the luckiest guy in the whole world."

". . . Prooobably." She giggled at him, using his shoulder as a pillow. "I love you."

"Love you too."

And with that, she closed her eyes, completely comfortable with everything in the world as long as this man was next to her.

_Pipipipi. _

Makoto pulled his phone out of his pocket, silenced it, and threw it across the room.

He didn't know who it was, but whoever it was wouldn't be receiving a reply for a short while.

"That was a little harsh, Makoto," Labrys said, laughing.

"I don't want anything to interrupt this."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woooooo. Making out. so much fun. so much. just. so fun.**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**This was fun to write! I enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed reading it, did you? I bet you diiiid. Anyway, tomorrow's prompt is eating ice cream. Should be another fun one. **

**Writing about making out was a little hard though. Let me know if you have any advice to make it better! I didn't want to go TOO indepth at risk of sounding like a creepy pervert weirdo, but I didn't want to just be bland and go "dey kizz kizzd." So yeah, advice anyone? **

**Favorite if it's your favorite! Follow if . . . you need to follow something to give you more ideas to come up with ways to tell someone to follow something metaphorically.**

**Or if you just wanna' read more. **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Yay for late chapters! **

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Really sorry guys! I know, my update schedule is horrible, but I'm doing my best. Anyway, today's prompt is eating ice cream. It was kind of difficult to write, so I hope you like it.**

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><p><em>It's hot. <em>

As he walked off the train, earphones on, hands in his pockets, that was the only thought in his mind.

It was really hot.

Makoto had been forcibly removed from his apartment by necessity, forced to be outside at noon on Sunday. _What a terrible time to be outside. . . Couldn't it have picked any other day?_

He was on his way to the mall to do some emergency shopping. Normally, he wouldn't be caught dead outside in this kind of heat, but today, it was essential. A resource vital to his survival had just been lost to him. One with which he couldn't bear to live without.

His monitor crapped out.

If he could, he would've ordered one off the internet and see if he could get one day shipping. Even his monitor wasn't always worth going outside on a day like this. But the fastest he could get a new one was three days, and he didn't think he could survive that long without one. After all, the internet was practically his lifeblood when no one else was around, and he needed it to do work anyways. He was left with no other alternative than to suffer the deadly heat as he ventured onward, for without his monitor, he was nothing.

Well, not nothing. Just terribly bored and potentially unemployed.

The sweat was already getting ready to drip down his forehead when he finally found himself standing in front of Paulownia Mall, looking up at the building as if it was his salvation. He'd almost never been happier to see it in his entire life, for one reason only.

_Air conditioning. . . _He could already feel the cold air, how sweet the refuge from this heat would be. . .

"We're sorry!" said the attendant as he walked inside. "We're having electrical difficulties right now. As a result, the air conditioning has been cut off to most stores and the main halls of the mall. Please enjoy your shopping experience!" He was handed a free coupon for the Hagakure noodle shop as he walked past, as a bit of a consolation prize. Whatever hope he had had for this day to be slightly enjoyable disappeared instantaneously.

_Might as well make the most of it. . ._ As the sunlight shined down through the glass roofs, he made his way to the electronics store. It really was too hot for this kind of thing. The mall was practically barren, as you'd expect it to be on a day like this. Absolutely no one was around. The only people there were the unfortunate workers who _had _to be there, who were surely almost as upset as he was that the air conditioning was broken. Makoto even walked past one of the Wild Duck Burger mascots in the full duck suit, looking absolutely miserable. Makoto couldn't imagine how hot it was inside that thing.

_Finally. . ._ He found himself in front of the electronics store he was looking for, letting out a slight sigh of relief. _Just have to buy my monitor, and get back home._ He started to walk towards the door, when something inside the store caught his eye. A slight tinge of hope.

Inside the store, he saw a familiar blueish-gray ponytail doing some shopping. He found himself happy for two reasons as his pace quickened, curious to see if it was who he was sure it was. And sure enough, as the automated doors slid open, there she was, ready to make his day.

Also, this store was one of the few that was air conditioned. So two things made his day, actually.

"Uh, thanks a bunch!" said Labrys, grabbing her bag off the counter as she turned towards the door. To her surprise, there was Makoto, waving to her. It caught her off guard. She wasn't really prepared for her boyfriend to be there. Pink started to don her cheeks as he greeted her.

"Hey," he said, smiling for the first time that day since leaving his apartment. "Fancy meeting you here."

"O-Oh, hey Makoto." She brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, suddenly concerned with her appearance. She pulled on the sleeve of the loose black long sleeve t-shirt she was donned in, trying to hide the blush that continued growing on her cheeks. "Whatcha doin' here?"

"Nothing special," he remarked, pulling his earphones off. He smiled warmly, no longer particularly concerned with the heat. "Got to pick up a new monitor." He glanced towards her bag. "What've you got there?"

"Uh, nothin' really." She looked inside the bag, following her boyfriend deeper into the back of the store as he walked through the aisles. "Just, uh. . . Picked up a Play Station." She cleared her throat, looking around the empty interior of the store as a pathetic means to hide her embarrassment. _I shoulda' worn something nicer._

He turned towards her, an eyebrow raised with a sly yet proud grin. "Addicted, are we?"

As it often did around him, her embarrassment turned to joy. She stuck her tongue out at him, laughing playfully. "Well, it's all your fault! Besides, I can almost beat you. Gotta' get better first, though, and only practicin' at your house isn't holdin' up. And now we can play together even on the weekdays."

He smiled at the proposition. "Alright. But just more practice doesn't mean you're going to beat me."

"Don't be so sure!" she said, giggling. "I'm getting even better, even as we speak!"

"Better doesn't mean good."

"Just you wait, I'll get you one day. Your reign of terror is almost over!"

They found themselves in the computer accessories aisle, exchanging playful insults and one-ups as Makoto looked for something in his price range. "So you're here because your monitor broke?"

He cringed. "Yeah. . ."

"Oh, well how much is it to get a new one? I might be able to lend ya' some."

She then saw the amount of zeroes on the price tag.

"Oh. . . Yeah, maybe not."

He laughed, regardless of how pitiful his situation was that his girlfriend was contemplating floating him some money. "Don't worry, I've got it covered."

"You sure? I kinda' wanna' help out. After all, you always pay for all my stuff."

"No problem." He made his selection and started on his way over to the register, Labrys following closely behind.

"Okay, if you say so. But are you sure you're gonna' be able to pay for all your video games if you buy this stuff?"

He cringed yet again. The subject was dismissed.

After he paid, the duo stepped out into the mall as the unmistakable feeling of holy-hell-that's-hot engulfed Makoto again. He could already feel the sweat condensing on his forehead as his smile disappeared, ready to face the painful walk home. Labrys took note of his pained expression.

"What's the matter, Makoto? Everythin' alright?" she inquired, completely oblivious to the torturous heat.

"Uh. . . Nothing, it's just hot." He brought a hand to his eyes to hide his face from the glaring sun.

"Oh. Huh, I didn't notice." Labrys looked up at the bright sun. "I guess temperatures are kinda' high today. . . Hmm. . ." Labrys snapped, an idea coming to mind. "Why don't we do somethin' to cool you down?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, we're both here, and we're off work, so might as well do somethin' fun! Especially if it'll cool you down. After all, it's gotta' be more fun than goin' home and installin' a monitor. Aaand you get to spend time with me! It's a win win!"

"Hmm. . . I like that idea," he remarked, his smile gradually returning. "What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I dunno'. What do you usually do when you're hot?"

"Not sure. . . I've never really had to deal with it."

"I guess. . . We could go for, uh, what's that stuff? Ice cream?" Labrys put a finger on her lower lip, looking up in thought. "That's supposed to be pretty good on hot days."

The thought was pleasant. "Sure, if you want." Makoto slung his bag over his shoulder, placing his free hand in hers. "There should be a stand around here somewhere. . ." He began his adventure through the mall, pulling Labrys along with him in tow.

She felt her lips curl into a bright smile as Makoto led her onward, her good day having transformed into a great day.

* * *

><p>After a good half hour of suffering through the painful heat, which felt even more intense thanks to the glass in the roof, Makoto finally located an ice cream cart. The employee working it was in a Jack Frost mascot suit, and Makoto felt some flashbacks coming on of Jack Frost, Pyro Jack and Black Frost in Tartarus. He looked pretty miserable, and every now and then he'd open the cooler to blow some cool air onto him. Makoto didn't blame him in the slightest.<p>

"Oh, what can I get you two?" said the employee, greeting them as they approached. He managed to maintain a gleeful act despite the heat. His willpower was admirable.

"Hmm. . ." Makoto looked at the list of flavors. "Labrys, what do you want?"

She glanced towards him, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "Uh, Makoto, you know I can't. . ."

"Labrys, what do you want?" he repeated. "You've got to get some, too, after all."

She felt her cheeks heating up as she looked at the menu, with no idea as to how any of this stuff tasted. She decided on whatever "Pistachio" was, pointing towards the green ice cream. "That one."

"One pistachio and one strawberry," he remarked, deciding on something simple for himself.

"Comin' right up," said the employee as he began to work his trusty scoop. "You know, it's a little hot for a date, you two. Shouldn't you be inside?"

Labrys laughed. "It wasn't exactly planned. Makoto here's just really hot, so we've got to do somethin' cool him off."

"Well, in the presence of a lady like you, I don't blame him." The employee tipped his Jack Frost hat towards her, handing her her selection. She took it in her (gloved, of course) hands, looking at it like it was an alien artifact no one had ever seen before. She had no idea what to do with this foreign object in front of her.

"Uh, thank you," she said, her cheeks getting ever so brighter, partially due to his flattery and partially due to her growing embarrassment.

"And for you," he said, now handing Makoto his ice cream. "You two enjoy, now."

"Thanks," said Makoto, licking his ice cream quickly. The feeling of cold on his tongue sent chills down his spine. Completely welcome chills, of course.

After they were out of the salesman's earshot, Labrys decided to make her inquiry. "Why'd you buy me some?" she asked. "You know I don't. . ."

He licked his ice cream, responding as if it was the most nonchalant thing in the world. "It wouldn't be fair if you didn't get some too."

She felt a strange warmth engulf her as she found herself once again astounded by her considerate boyfriend. She kept her eyes on her ice cream to avoid eye contact with him, simple embarrassment overtaking her. _Fair, huh. . ._

They sat on the fountain in the center of the mall, the water glistening brightly as the rays of the sun shined through it. It looked horribly inviting. Makoto could barely resist the urge to just dive right in and cool off, even if it probably wasn't terribly cool. He set his bag down and prepared to devour his ice cream, eyeing it with desire.

He took a large bite out of his ice cream, sighing as the cool feeling enveloped him. Every bite sent a shiver of satisfaction down his throat. Even if it was just brief bursts of cool, it really was nice on such a hot day. _I must take this stuff for granted, _he thought. _I'll have to make this a usual thing. _

Labrys, however, did not look as pleased. She had yet to be enlightened with what to do with this green blob of ice cream in front of her. _I'm not supposed to eat anything. . ._ Her discomfort grew, frowning as her ice cream began to melt, small trickles of the green liquid making their way down the cone. "Uh, M-Makoto?" she asked.

Makoto wasted no time. He grabbed her ice cream, and licked up some of the small trickles. "Ugh, pistachio." He laughed a little, returning to his strawberry ice cream.

"Makoto. . ." She smiled warmly, realizing what he was attempting to do. She felt her cheeks flushing as that familiar sense of joy welled inside her, threatening to burst forth. It took all she could manage to avoid tackling him right then and there. "I-I really appreciate it." He smiled back at her as the intense warmth grew even further. "You didn't have to go and do that, though. . . You just spent a buncha' money on a monitor, after all."

"I know. But I want to." He finished ravenously devouring his strawberry ice cream, now shifting his attention towards the pistachio cone. "I promise, it tastes good."

"Then what was the 'ugh' for?" she inquired, laughing playfully.

"That's what I say when things taste good." The pair shared a laugh, now completely ignoring the intense heat being projected by the sun.

"Thanks for the ice cream," she said as Makoto finished the last of the pistachio. "Even if I didn't get to eat anything."

"Sorry about that." He cleared his throat, wiping his hands off. "It was just . . . so good." He made an exaggerated gesture to indicate exactly how much he _"loved" _that ice cream.

"I'll bet." She reached forward and took his hand in hers, holding it warmly. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek, the flush on her cheeks growing in intensity.

"What for?" he asked, completely casual. As if he hadn't planned this or anything.

"You know what for," she said as she slugged his shoulder playfully. "You bought that ice cream for me even though I couldn't eat it. I . . . appreciate that." He was doing his best to make their relationship seem like a completely normal one. That normal relationship that Labrys wanted so bad. "I love that about you."

"Anything for you." He tightened his grip on her hand, deciding it was best to change the subject. "Ugh, it's still so hot. We should get home, don't you think?"

"Uh, yeah, guess so." She smiled as the two stood up, grabbing their bags. "You really know how to treat a girl, don't ya?"

"You flatter me. So where to next?"

"I dunno'. Your choice," she said, as they made their way towards the exit of the mall.

"Hmm. . . Well, why don't we go home and plug in that new Play Station? Break it in a little."

Labrys smiled warmly, squeezing Makoto's hand as they exited the mall and walked out into the heat. "I'd like that a lot."

"Great. But, let's go as fast as possible. . ." He cleared his throat. "It's hot."

"Oh, you're just a wuss. You can handle a little heat, can't you?" She giggled, running ahead of him. "I'd call it _warm _at the least."

He grinned. "Hey, I resent that." He jogged a bit to catch up with her, now walking alongside her on the hot streets of Tatsumi Port Island, hand in hand.

"I'm really glad I ran into you today." Labrys leaned over and kissed his cheek. " I really am a lucky girl, huh?" It was a lot of fun. And I'm sure the ice cream was _delicious._"

"You bet," he teased, as the odd duo walked in the direction of his apartment. Despite the heat, empty streets, and bitter circumstances, the pair filled the air with an aura of joy, looking happier than ever. The heat was simply a back drop to their day.

_But damn, is it hot._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yay for another complete chapter! I hope you liked it, even if it was a little late. I thought it was a little weird, so I might come back an edit it, but I hope it's okay. **

**Audience: "You suck."**

**So yeah, favorite if it's your favorite! Follow if . . . I dunno'. I'M OUT OF STUFF TO FOLLOW. NOOOOOO.**

**Follow your nose for the fruity taste that shows? (Disclaimer: I don't own Fruit Loops.)**

**Or if you just wanna' read more. **


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Completely canon. No joke. TOTALLY CANON. Not really. **

**The prompt was gender bending, which was . . . weird, to say the least. For those of you who don't know what gender bending is (I really hope you do), it's when you switch the genders of two characters for no reason at all other than moderate amusement. So I did that with these two, for the prompt. I hope you like it? I know I had fun writing it. Part of me wanted to use Hamuko as the "gender bent" Makoto, but to me they're two different characters with really different personalities. So yeah, enjoy. **

* * *

><p>Makoto found herself walking around Paulownia Mall with her earphones in, passing by the arcade near the front as she listened to some happy music on loop to get herself in the mood for her date. Despite the environment, and her growing excitement, she was still relatively composed with herself. This was her first date with Labrys, after all, so she needed to be herself even if it wasn't appealing. She'd never been the type to get too stressed over anything, anyways.<p>

Except the end of the world. That was kind of stressful, but no big deal.

She flipped through her phone one more time, looking for the location once again to make sure she was on her way to the right place. In front of the . . . Police Station? A bit of a strange location, but she shrugged it off, finding herself in front of it in no time. _Police station. . . Kinda' weird place, huh?_ It was a place that both of them knew, so that might have been the reason. Still, she tucked her phone back into her pocket, scanning the horizon for the boy she was looking for.

He wasn't there yet. Makoto let out a sigh of slight sadness. She hadn't expected Labrys to be particularly punctual, but she herself had gotten their ten minutes early just to make sure she would be there if he arrived early. She took glance after glance at the surroundings, surveying the area for her date. _Usually the guy is early, huh? _She didn't mind, though. It was Labrys, after all. She had no reason to complain. She had asked in the first place, anyways.

"Hey, Makoto-chan!" said the familiar accented voice as he ran towards her. He was expertly disguising his parts in some winter wear, despite the relatively high temperatures. He stuck out with a sore thumb, but Makoto still smiled as he made his way over. "Really sorry I'm late," he said, faking some light panting motions.

"No problem." She pulled her phone out, looking at the time. "You're actually three minutes early."

"Whenever you get here is what's 'on time'." He let out a sigh, taking her hand in his as his cheeks flushed a little redder. _Damn, how does she keep her composure like this?_

Despite Labrys's relative nervousness, Makoto casually brushed her long blue hair over her shoulder and sighed, smiling warmly. She looked perfectly calm, even a little relaxed. Despite their gender roles, Makoto really was the more composed figure in the relationship. "So what do you want to do?" she asked, snapping Labrys out of her fantasy.

"Uh, I dunno'." He let out an awkward laugh to distract himself from the subject as they started walking. "I guess you can pick."

Makoto laughed, deciding to poke some teases at her boyfriend. "I thought the guy was supposed to do all the planning?"

"C'mon, you know I'm not the best at that kinda' stuff. . . You're so good at it anyways, so why don't you do it?"

She smiled slyly, prodding a finger at Labrys's nose. "Alright. My apartment?"

Labrys cleared her throat awkwardly, not sure how to respond to the situation. "Isn't that a bit far for a first date?. . ."

"'You're so good at it anyways, so why don't you do it?'" said Makoto, mimicking Labrys's voice.

"Fine, fine," he said, letting out a sigh as he was clearly defeated by this girl. "Your apartment it is."

"Great." Makoto leaned over and kissed Labrys's cheek, causing red to flush to Labrys's face. "I'll lead the way."

"Don't you always?" asked Labrys, now deciding it was her time to poke fun. "Even if I wanted to, I probably couldn't plan anything. You'd stop me before I could."

". . . Probably," she said, dead-serious.

". . . Oh. W-Well then."

"Just kidding." Labrys frowned as Makoto smiled, having gotten the better of him before the duo both broke out laughing. "Let's get to my apartment, shall we?"

"Let's."

* * *

><p>Labrys furiously mashed the buttons on his controller as Makoto beat him for the 20th time that night. She took another nibble out of the toast in front of her, taking her jacket off as she prepared for the next round. "C'mon, cut me some slack, okay? I've been practicing really hard lately." Labrys picked a different character and sighed, admiring his girlfriend's talent for the game.<p>

"Which is why I can't hold back," she said, putting her food down as she made the stage selection. "No one got better by being let up on."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," he said, talking to her despite currently playing. _Maybe I can throw her off her game! _Of course, he didn't care too much about beating her, but managing to impress her on their first date would pay off in the long run. So even doing just a little better would probably help. "After all, how can you get better if you're fighting something you can't beat?"

"Just get up until you manage to beat it again."

She said this with a definite tone. As if the words were the most important thing in the world. As if the whole phrase was all she cared about, a life moral she lived by. Her facial expression darkened slightly as some uncomfortable memories came back, an even more uncomfortable silence filling the air. The only sound either could hear was the mashing of buttons emanating from Labrys's controller, neither feeling the need to break the silence. Or more, having the ability to break the silence, in Labrys's case. _She's been through a lot herself, huh? _

The round ended as Labrys looked over towards Makoto, who seemed . . . shaken? No, sad. Sad was the word he'd use for it. She looked sad. Labrys pressed the pause button on the controller and put his hand on her shoulder, gaining her attention. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just some . . . not so fond memories." She cleared her throat, trying to dispel the sad expression she was currently wearing with a half-assed smile.

"You sure? You look pretty torn up about it. . ." He brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tilting his head inquisitively. "You wanna' talk about it?"

". . . Not really," said Makoto as she glanced away, a blush rising to her cheeks.

He grabbed her chin, shifting her face back towards him with her hand, cupping her chin gently. "You sure?"

"Y-Yeah." Makoto was growing flustered, the red in her cheeks getting stronger and stronger as Labrys's face approached hers.

"Well, I'm here for you. I love you more than anything." His face was only inches from hers. "No matter what. . ." Slowly, getting closer and closer, -

* * *

><p>Makoto brutally ripped the paper in half. Just one tear wasn't enough, though. No one could ever find this intact. He ripped it yet again, shredding it into little pieces without mercy. The glint in his eyes as he went about destroying the story in front of him was very similar to the one he wore in combat.<p>

"Hey, what the hell!?" shouted Junpei, grabbing the remains of his works. "What was that for!?"

Makoto remained silent, pulling his phone out of his pocket to casually check his e-mail, as if nothing had even happened. His cheeks were a lighter shade of pink than usual. It wasn't too oblivious, but anyone who knew him knew that Makoto blushing was a big deal.

"C'mon, Makoto! I put a lotta' time into that! I even hand wrote it and everything!"

Silence.

Labrys held her cheeks in her hands, the bright red overtaking them immediately. _I knew this was a bad idea. . . _

Labrys and Makoto had told everyone that they were together. While Junpei and Yukari had questioned it, most of the team was accepting of their relationship. So everything was dandy and they could be together and do things with their friends, right? Totally.

Except, now they had to deal with Junpei writing fictions about them for his "creative writing class". Currently he was using them as inspiration for a novel about a couple, which Makoto clearly didn't approve of. And so, Junpei had gotten him to proof read the novel to make sure there was nothing particularly embarrassing about it. If he didn't like it, Junpei would change it.

Well, he didn't like it, evidently.

After Junpei left, Labrys took a seat next to Makoto, who was still nonchalantly checking his e-mail to disguise his embarrassment. She prodded his slightly-reddened cheek with her finger, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Hey, Makoto, everythin' alright?"

"Yeah."

"You sure? You look pretty torn up about it!" She interrupted herself with a giggle, before continuing. "You wanna' talk about it?"

Even Makoto couldn't avoid laughing, despite his desires otherwise. He almost dropped his phone as Labrys joined in, barely managing to struggle through her laughter to continue. "C-Cause. . . I'm here for y- snrk!" She just couldn't keep it up. Their laughs cried out through the empty office, echoing and reverberating around the halls. If anyone else was there, they'd look ridiculous. But neither of them really cared. Slowly and surely, their laughs died out, as Labrys rested her head on Makoto's shoulder. "I love you more than anything."

"So do I," said Makoto, looking at his reflection in his phone. "I look amazing today."

Labrys elbowed him in the gut, to which he let out a winded laugh. "It was just a joke!" he exclaimed, their laughter returning.

"I know! But now you've gotta' make it up to me." She leaned towards him, intent on getting what she wanted.

Their lips met in a moment of pure joy, savoring the moment before separating after several seconds of satisfaction.

"Y'know, Makoto, you'd probably look pretty cute as a girl. Makoto-chan!" She poked his nose, pulling his hair up to make it look as if he had tiny twin tails.

"Yeah, too far."

"Right."

Silence.

Then laughter.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: A fanfiction within a fanfiction? We're going too deep! Aaahhhhh!**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**Thanks for reading, as usual! This one was . . . strange, to say the least. I hope you liked it, though! The next prompt is in a "different" clothing style. I honestly have . . . ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what to do for that. About to start an intense brainstorming session for tomorrow. Anyone have any ideas? (wink wink) **

**But yeah, review if you want to make me feel good about myself. Favorite if it's your favorite! Follow if you're a hunter and this story is your prey, so you lie in wait, ready to pounce.**

**Or if you just wanna' read more. **


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Heeeeeey. How's everyone doin'?**

**Audience: "You suck."**

**I hope you like this one. I liked this one anyways. Special thanks to Ark2012 for help with the idea. He's beautiful. Love him. (I know I do.) **

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><p>Makoto buttoned up his suit jacket, looking at himself in the mirror, eyebrows creased in disappointment yet again as he decided he didn't like what he was wearing. The plain black suit and white dress shirt weren't really a problem; hell, they mirrored his regular equipment, but he was having far more trouble than expected with selecting a tie. Mitsuru had provided everyone attending the event with a large array of jewelry and accessories, but he just couldn't decide what tie he wanted. Nothing seemed to fit well, no matter how many things he tried.<p>

_Red tie? It pops out. More noticeable. Makes me look approachable, yet bold? _

_Green tie. Friendly, kind. Open to conversation. Maybe too friendly. . ._

_Black tie. Formal. Official. Good impression._

_. . . Can't decide. _He sighed, groaning as he continued digging through Mitsuru's arsenal of formal attire for something that would fit well. After all, it was an important event.

At least, it was important to Mitsuru. She'd been invited to a party being hosted by someone high up in the national government, which was an excellent sign. Considering the actions of the Shadow Operatives and how they were looked down upon by other members of the government, them being invited to this thing was no small occasion. And naturally, Mitsuru wanted to go and improve their opinion of her and her organization even further. It was a logical enough decision. Even if Makoto wasn't fond of a black-tie super fancy party environment, he had agreed to go for the sake of the group. So did everyone else. Even Junpei and Ken managed to make time to show up. And considering Ken was going, Koromaru probably would be, too. But none of that would matter if he couldn't decide what tie he wanted. This was a matter of life and death.

_Red tie. _

_No, green tie. _

_Wait. Black tie. _

Once again, the options flickered through his head as he was forced to make a decision by the ticking hands of time. _I've got to go pick up Labrys. . . Just pick one! _

He sighed a sigh of resolution as he made a final selection, deciding on a dark blue tie, rushing towards the door. He mentally ran over things in his head, almost panicking. _Can't be late. . . __Checklist: Phone, check. Tie, check. Earphones, check, MP3, check. . . _Now he just had to pick up Labrys and make his way to Mitsuru's limousine so they could arrive in fashion. He turned his phone on and fired off a message in record time.

_Where should I pick you up? We're going to end up late at this rate. _

She replied quickly. _Don't worry about it. __Just come by the base, Yukari and Mitsuru are helping me with some stuff. _

He replied his affirmation and stepped out onto the street, letting out a deep breath before beginning the trek to Mitsuru's. _This should be . . . "fun". _

* * *

><p>"You sure about this, Yukari?" asked Labrys as Yukari rushed around the wardrobe room, grabbing dresses and jewelry and who knows what else for Labrys to try on.<p>

"Absolutely!" She laid all of her selections out on the bed, before jumping up and down excitedly. "This is your first big fancy party! Aaaand, you've got a date! You've just got to look perfect!"

"Yeah, well. . . I dunno' if Makoto's into all this glamour stuff. . ." Labrys looked at the sequined and laced dresses in front of her. "I mean, this is all really fancy stuff! I'm gonna' look like a bit of a pushover."

"Oh, please. I've known Makoto for years now, and every man likes a good bit of glamour every now and then, even him! Besides, you'll get to show off!" Yukari picked an outfit and handed it to Labrys. "C'mon, go try it on!"

"A-Are you sure?"

"Just do it!" Yukari's enthusiasm was getting the best of her.

"Alright, if you say so. . ." Labrys said, preparing for the intensive session of trying on outfits she was about to have.

* * *

><p><em>Knock. <em>

Makoto checked his phone, sighing with slight dissatisfaction as he saw the time. _We're supposed to be there in half an hour and not even everyone's ready yet. _He stood in front of the door to Labrys's room in the base. Even though his expectations for the night weren't that high, it would be a lie to say he wasn't excited about at least one thing. He found himself clenching his fist in anticipation to see the sight that lay beyond this mighty barrier posed by the door in front of him.

_Buzz. _

His phone vibrated in his pocket. It was a message from - surprisingly enough, - Labrys. _Makoto, change of plans. Me and the girls already left for the party. Akihiko's comin' by to pick you and Junpei up. _

Makoto sighed as he replied affirmatively, sliding his phone back into his pocket. _Change of plans, I guess. _He started rushing out towards the garage, his hopes dashed of seeing his girlfriend in a beautiful dress. At least, not yet, anyways. He fired off another message to Akihiko to confirm his location, before getting ready to rush on over to the dance. _Eventually. _

* * *

><p>The dance was just as hosh-posh money money as he'd expected it to be. If anything, he looked out of place with how bland his clothing was. <em>Dammit. Should have gone for the red tie.<em>

Junpei walked towards him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as he drank a bit of the classy champagne they were offering at the food table, which was draped in red velvet. "Hey, dude! Man, is this party off the chain or what?" Hopefully he wouldn't be getting too much of that champagne to drink.

Makoto looked around at the interior with disinterest. The large glass chandelier hanging above him, the red-curtain draped walls, the tables adorned with crystals and expensive foods and silverware, the massive ballroom floor. Someone really influential must have been hosting this party. "It's alright."

"C'mon, dude, don't even try and pretend you aren't excited to see the giiiirls!"

Makoto awkwardly cleared his throat as the thought came back to him. _He's right. I really do want to see Labrys. . ._ He looked towards his phone yet again, for about the hundredth time that night. _When are the girls going to get here? _

Cliche entrance, initiate.

"Welcoming to the party, miss Mitsuru Kirijo, Yukari Takeba, Fuuka Yamagishi, Aigis and Labrys!" shouted a disembodied voice from somewhere in the hall. Makoto looked towards the door, his heartbeat palpitating in expectation and anxiety. He saw Yukari, Mitsuru, and then . . . her.

Without a doubt, his night had been made.

Labrys was donned in a turquoise dress that was accentuated the slim upper half of her body, but the dress thickened out towards the bottom of the long skirt, covering her legs all the way down to her feet, which were in simple black flats. The upper half of the dress donning her torso was covered in glittery silver sequins, sparkling brightly as the light from the chandeliers reflected off of them. Along with the gorgeous dress she wore a white coat over her shoulders, similar to Mitsuru's fur coat (to disguise her arms and neck), and a glamorous silver necklace that Makoto couldn't even begin to estimate the price of. Regardless of the small details, Makoto was speechless. Junpei waved his hands in front of Makoto's face, but nothing could break him from his trance.

The group of females (along with the now-present Akihiko and Ken) approached Makoto and Junpei, who were standing slack-jawed at the sight in front of them. "Duuuuude. . ." said Junpei.

"Dude," was Makoto's only reply.

"Good evening, Makoto-san, Iori-san," said Mitsuru, bowing to them with a curtsy.

"Wow, Mitsuru-san!" Ken said with a glitter in his eyes. "You look amazing! You too, Yukari-san!"

Yukari giggled at the compliment. "You look rather dashing yourself, Ken-kun!" They both laughed.

"Fuuka-san!" This time it was Junpei's turn to shower them with compliments. "You look awesome! Damn, do you guys clean up nice!" His antics hadn't changed in the slightest. Makoto had a brief flashback of the beach and his more than thorough examinations of all the girls during summer vacation.

However, Makoto couldn't pry his eyes from one person in particular. He stared at Labrys, as if it was the last thing he'd ever see. Not that he'd mind that, of course.

"H-Hey, Makoto," said Labrys, the pink in her cheeks growing even further. He blinked a few times, snapped out of his daze.

"Hey." He beamed warmly at her. "You look . . . amazing." He could hardly begin to describe it.

"You really think so?" she asked, self esteem shrinking. "I think I look kinda' goofy. This was all Yukari's idea, so I thought you might not like it. . ."

"I love it. You look absolutely astounding."

Her cheeks were burning up at this point. "Th-Thanks. Uh, y-you look great too."

He chuckled. "What I'm wearing is nothing special." He silently cursed himself for not going with the red tie.

"N-No, but it looks really nice!" she insisted. "It suits you really well."

"Thanks." Everyone else in their friend circle had departed to do something else, leaving them alone in the middle of the ballroom. Labrys cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing brighter than ever.

"So how do you like the party so far?" She inquired, looking around the expensively decorated ballroom. "Everything looks so amazing. . ."

"It wasn't anything special until you got here."

"Oh, stop!" she said, the redness on her cheeks refusing to die down. "I'm sure you don't mean that. . ."

_Fishing for compliments. How cute. I'll comply. _"No, seriously," he continued, to appease her silent request. "I'm not fond of these big parties. But with you, in _that. . . _How could anyone not like it?"

She giggled. "Well, I'm glad I could make your night just a little bit better."

"More than just mine, and more than just a little bit."

Once again, she let out a laugh, her worries disappearing. "I'm kinda' nervous, believe it or not. . . This party's crazy, after all. I mean, just look at all the people in here! I must look like a freak compared to them."

It was true that everyone else in the building looked like they'd dumped out an insane amount of money to be here. _I never thought the government would throw parties like this. . ._ Labrys swooned, thinking about her fantasies of a night like this. _Beautiful dress, beautiful people. . . Beautiful music, beautiful everything! _Believe it or not, Labrys was pretty fond of glamorous events like this.

"Not true at all. If anything, the only looks you'll be getting are ones of envy." As they spoke, music started to ring out around them. With a grin, Makoto held his hand out towards her, bowing formally. "May I have this dance?"

"Why, of course you can, good sir!" She took his hand, the other dramatically placed on her chest as she was whisked into position. With one of his arms around her back and one hand in hers, they began to dance across the floor, staring into each others' eyes. And so the pair danced, for hours upon hours.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, I need a break, Makoto!" She tugged him by his hand towards the wall, despite his childish refusals not to. However, he gave up eventually, conceding defeat to his girlfriend. "That was a lot of fun. I've never danced like that before."<p>

"You did pretty good considering you've never done it before."

"Oh, please! I stepped on your foot more than once." Their laughs echoed out through the hall before quieting down as Labrys rested her head on Makoto's shoulder, looking out at the scene in front of her. "I never thought I'd be able to do this."

"Do what?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Go to a party like this, with a buncha' people, and a guy I love. . . I never thought it'd happen." She wrapped her hand around his, squeezing it tightly as if to make sure she never let go. "I'm just so happy. All these kinda' things that a girl like me shouldn't be able to do. . . It kinda' makes me feel like I'm blessed, y'know? Like I'm the luckiest girl in the world."

He squeezed it back and kissed her forehead, leaning into her further. "We can do things like this all the time. Together."

"Promise?

"I swear."

She turned to face her beloved, pulling his face in as their lips met tenderly. It felt as if they would never separate, sharing this unison forever, had it not been for the unkind interruption soon to follow.

"Wow, Makoto, you sure know how to pick 'em," said Junpei, laughing.

"Should we get you two a room?" asked Akihiko, exchanging a fist pound of camaraderie.

"Oh, stop it," said Yukari. "Haven't you even been in love?"

"I agree!" said Fuuka, nodding enthusiastically. "I think they're just adorable."

Labrys's cheeks flushed as she stood up, almost glowing bright red. "C-Can't a girl have a little bit of privacy?"

Makoto couldn't help but laugh as the scene unfolded in front of him, watching the two things he loved most; Labrys, and his friends, in perfect synergy. She protested anything they said, cheeks flushing even brighter, and he couldn't help but feel the immense warmth growing inside his heart as he witnessed the scene.

_Tonight really is perfect, huh. . . _

_Maybe this party wasn't such a bad idea after all._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Yaaay, actually getting a chapter out! I've had this one in the works for a few days but it just felt . . . weird, so I've re-tailored it a few times at this point. I hope it was good. Was it good? I bet it was good.**

**Tomorrow's (or whenever I upload it) prompt is during their morning rituals. That one should be fun. **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Yaaay, updates! I've had a lot of stuff in the works over the past couple days (including this, don't worry), but I also got my hands on a little thingy I'm sure a lot of you on the Persona portal picked up too, Persona Q! Might I just say that it's amazing and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm pretty good at it, too, if I do say so myself!**

**Audience: "You probably suck." **

**Anyways, the game has really inspired me with a lot of moments between all the characters. And the setting is amazing so I went, "hey, why not write about these?" So I'm going to! Expect that in the future. **

**But for now, OTP things! Read at your own leisure. I hope you enjoy, as usual! **

* * *

><p><em>Buzzzzzzz. <em>

The sound was frustrating. The most frustrating thing he'd heard all morning. It roused him from his restless sleep, coaxing him back into the land of the employed.

_Buzzzz. . ._

_I can ignore it, though. This is what I've trained for. . . _He put his expert training to work and shut his eyelids even tighter, shutting out the sound entirely.

_Buzz. . ._

_It has been thoroughly shut out of my mind. I don't care about it._

Suddenly, the sound of kazoos rang through the room. A chorus of the most annoying instrument Makoto could think of.

_Dammit. _

Makoto rolled out of bed, furiously punching his alarm clock to silence it as he threw the covers off of his body. He had set the kazoos on purpose, to wake him up. The simple sounds of an alarm clock were too weak to break through his self-proclaimed "intense concentration."

While in reality, he was just lazy and kazoos really annoyed him, so he set it as a safety net of sorts.

Sitting there in his pajamas, hair ruffled by his sleeping body, he stared at his toes, trying to muster the resolve to actually stand up and go about getting ready. He didn't really want to go back to sleep, he just wanted to . . . sit there. And stare. For several more minutes. Thoughts raced through his brain about one or the other - sleep or work, but at the moment, all he could do was sit there and stare at his toes in contemplation. His thoughts drifted to all the different parts of his day and his priorities as to whether or not they were important enough to get out of bed for. Most of them were.

As it generally did, work and social life won out over sleep. After all, Makoto had faced Mitsuru and her executions before. And if he was late to work, he would definitely be receiving one of the fatal executions.

They weren't fun, to say the least.

He was also looking forward to seeing Labrys. Due to some paperwork and personal obligations, he hadn't been able to see her for the past couple of days, so maybe today would be different. After all, their relationship was important to him, and he didn't want her feeling neglected. So naturally, he had to get out of bed. For her sake.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed as he scratched his head, preparing for the remainder of his morning ritual frustrating as it were. He approached the bathroom.

He began the intense practice of brushing his teeth, staring into his own eyes in the mirror. As he generally did, he questioned his physical appearance and whether or not it made him look cold. He was a quiet person, as his appearance had always suggested, but he always kind of disliked his eyes. His eyes, gray and dull, made him look unwelcoming, whereas another color, a warmer one, would make him look kind and welcoming. As usual, however, this was just food for thought. He dismissed it as soon as he rinsed his mouth and set about brushing his hair down into a more orderly coiffure. He'd started caring a lot more about his appearance as soon as he'd gotten a girlfriend. Despite Labrys's insistence otherwise, Makoto knew that girls really did care about how you looked.

Speaking of Labrys, he pondered what she was up to that morning.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Labrys-san, you're good to go!" said Fuuka as Labrys's sleep-like trance was dismissed at the push of a button. Her eyes fluttered open as her systems began functioning normally yet again, booting up systematically, her senses returning one by one as smells in the room intensified and her vision started working again. As usual, the process was over in a flash, but it still felt like it took forever. Labrys couldn't deny that she was a robot, as much as she wanted to, and these weekly sessions just felt like her constant reminder.<p>

She was in for her weekly maintenance. It wasn't too strange of an occurrence at this point, but the thought of Fuuka prodding around her to make sure she wasn't having any problems was a little . . . odd. Especially considering that, if she wanted to, Fuuka could reach through all of Labrys's memory banks and re-watch and re-live all of her special memories. Even the ones with Makoto in them. And maybe, if she really wanted to, delete them.

_Let's hope that never happens. _

"Everything checks out just fine. Nothing strange going on, even in your black box."

"That's good," said Labrys, sitting up from the ASW containment chamber. All the cables came unplugged from here as she did so, allowing her to move freely yet again. "We don't want her comin' out to play again, huh?"

Shadow Labrys coming out again would be a bad thing, for sure. "Yeah, that's good." Fuuka nodded a couple times. "Got any plans for today?" she said, packing her things up to get ready for the remainder of her work.

"Nothin' special."

"Really? Makoto doesn't have plans?" asked Fuuka, raising her eyebrows mischievously.

Labrys couldn't stop the pink from rising to her cheeks as her boyfriend was mentioned. "C'mon, you're actin' like the only thing I do is hang out with Makoto. . ."

"I know, I know," said Fuuka, giggling. "But still, he usually finds something to do. He's a pretty reliable guy, after all. You should ask him!"

"He's probably busy. . ." She sighed, changing into her Yasogami High uniform. "We haven't gotten to spend any time together lately."

"Well maybe if you ask him, you could!" She smiled one of the smiles only Fuuka, a master of consoling people, could provide. "I gotta' go. I'll see ya' later."

"Yeah, see ya'!" said Labrys, waving her off as she brushed some hair behind her ears. "Anyway. . ." She flipped out her phone, checking the time.

_Thirty more minutes, huh? _

* * *

><p>"Crap," he said aloud, looking at the train schedule. He just missed the train he normally took in the morning. He couldn't get one for a good thirty minutes, and by then, he'd already be late to work. So it looked like he was hoofing it. Those several minutes of staring at his feet hadn't paid off.<p>

_If I run fast enough, I can clock in just in time. . . Maybe I'll get off with a light scolding,_he thought, running through the streets of Tatsumi Port Island. _I haven't run this much in years. . ._ While he did have regular training sessions, they generally only lasted long enough for him to eviscerate whatever opponent he was facing and then he could get back to his life. Endurance was hardly ever a part of it.

He slammed on his metaphorical breaks as the signal in front of him dictated that he had to stand still for the time being. He screeched to a halt as he waited for the signal to change colors so he could begin walking (or in this case, running) across the street. Every second felt like a millennium. "C'mon. . ." He waited, and waited, and waited, until finally. . ._  
><em>

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><p>Labrys stood by the door, waiting for one person in particular. She always stood like this, waited for him like this. It was part of her morning ritual, so to speak. He brightened up her day considerably, and she knew that she brightened up his. So why not see him that early in the morning? She didn't get tired the same way that he did, so she had always thought it was pretty considerate of her to try to brighten things up for him this early in the morning.<p>

People walked through the door, passed by her, waving and saying hello. It didn't take long for a familiar face to pass through. "Waiting for Makoto again, are ya'?" asked Akihiko as he ran in from his morning jog. "You're always by the door before he comes in."

Labrys blushed, turning away. "Maybe."

Akihiko chuckled and slugged her shoulder. "I'm sure he appreciates it," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "It's real sweet of you to wake him up every morning. After all, he really needs it. . ." The two shared a brief laugh as Akihiko continued on his way.

Labrys's blush took several more moments to die down, glancing back at the clock repeatedly. Whether she was waiting for him or not, he was late. By several minutes. . . His shift already started. _Did I miss him?_

Just as her doubts reached their climax, the door slammed open. She flinched a little, before blinking a few times at the sight in front of her.

Makoto stood there, in his uniform, having just slammed the door open ridiculously hard. He was panting heavily, sweat beading on his forehead, as if he had just run there. His hair was ruffled by the wind and his clothes were rather disorderly. _Uhh. . ._

"H-Hey," he said, clearing his throat awkwardly. His brought a hand to his mouth and coughed, letting out ragged breaths.

"Uh, h-hey," she iterated, not quite sure what to think of the situation. "You alright? Uh, did something happen?"

"N-No," he said, walking inside the Shadow Operatives entrance hall. Her strange looks weren't the only ones he was receiving, but he didn't care. He was exhausted. He rested his hands on his knees, breathing raggedly. She gave him a few minutes to catch his breath before continuing her inquiries.

"So, um, what had you in such a hurry?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "You looked kinda' crazy there for a sec'."

"Just running late," he said, as he stood straight, stretching his arms over his head. He leaned forward to plant a kiss on her cheek. "Good morning. Thanks for waiting."

"Mornin'," she said, turning away as she blushed. She always thought it was weird, how nonchalant he was about things like that in public. "I-I was waitin' for you 'cause I had a question." She held her hands behind her back, as if it was her first time asking him out somewhere all over again. "I was wonderin' if maybe you wanted to go somewhere after work. I-I don't have any plans, and I'm kinda' bored, so. . . And we haven't really gotten to hang out together, so I wanted to do somethin'. . ."

"Sure."

Her eyes lit up radiantly as her embarrassed expression quickly grew into a smile. "Really? Th-That's awesome! Uh, why don't we walk back to your place together after work?" she asked, bouncing up and down like a little kid on Christmas morning.

"Sounds like a plan." He smiled, patting her on her head as he always did when she looked happy. It made her happy, too, so it was a win-win.

"So what do you wanna' do tonight?" Labrys asked as they walked towards Makoto's station, hands clasped together. "We could go for a movie, or dinner, or hit the arcade. . ." He smiled as she rambled on about all her date ideas, going on and on about it as if it was the most important thing going on in the world. And to her, it very well could have been. _Even though I was late. . . I guess this morning wasn't so bad. _He opened the door to his office, preparing for the long day ahead of him. But he had a prize waiting for him at the end.

"Yuuki, would you care to explain why you're thirty minutes late to work?" said Mitsuru.

_Oh, right. Execution time. . . Well, at least the date will be fun._

_Even if I am in pain. _

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><p><strong>AN: Yaaaaay. Kind of short one today, but I couldn't really think of anything particularly special for "morning rituals" in the fluff department. I thought it worked pretty well though. Review if you thought so too, or if you have any criticism for me. Reviews make me feel warm and fluffy and I really appreciate them! It fuels my fluff. So fuel me! Favorite if it's one of your favorites, or your all time favorite! Follow if you find a treasure map that leads you on an intense hunt through the islands of the Pacific ocean on a hunt for your father's lost boat or something, I dunno'. Or if you just wanna' read more! **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I had a little difficulty writing this prompt! It was "spooning", and we all know I've never done that ( ), so I had to rely on my gut feeling for how it would feel. I think I did pretty good! Do you? Let me know in the review section! Anyways, enjoy the story! **

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><p>"Makoto, hurry up!" said Labrys, running ahead of him through the convenience store around Port Island Station. Makoto, of course, was following closely behind her as she chided him for his shopping habits. "You're takin' a pretty long time."<p>

He chuckled a little at her childish hurrying as he threw things into his bag, getting the grocery shopping out of the way as fast as he could. He didn't have all too much to grab, but to Labrys, every minute spent was a minute to many. She had plans, after all. As he grabbed a bowl of cup ramen (rather pitifully), she walked back in his direction, placing a hand on her hip in a playfully sassy manner. "I didn't know you were so picky. Cup ramen's pretty exclusive, after all," she said with a giggle.

"Picky?" he asked, with an eyebrow raised as he tossed yet another ingredient into the shopping bag. "If only you knew. . ." They exchanged a glance and a laugh, before Labrys immediately resumed her questioning.

"You reeeaaally need this much stuff?" She bounced up and down like a small child, clearly in a rush. "I really wanna' get back as soon as I can!"

"You didn't have to come with, you know," he said playfully, clearly enjoying her slight irritation.

"Yeah, but I-I wanted to spend time with you." She looked away with a blush, before immediately resuming her relentless requests. "So let's get back soon! That way, you don't have a mad girlfriend on your hand and I don't have to pretend to be mad. It's a win win," she said, giggling in an adorable fashion.

"I know, I know. I'm almost done." She sighed yet again, and Makoto felt a little bad for making her wait. He wanted to get back for the same reason she did, too. _Guess I better pick up the pace. . ._

"Alright, but I really want to watch the premier!" said Labrys, with her hands clasped together. "I promised Yukari I'd watch it!"

Of course, she was referring to the pilot episode of the new season of the show Yukari was working on, Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory. Yukari really wanted to show off to everyone, whether she claimed she thought it was embarrassing or not, so Labrys had promised to watch it for her. "It comes on in twenty minutes, doesn't it?"

"We'll make it, I promise." Makoto threw yet another thing into the bag, deciding to save the rest for later. "See? I'm done," he said, clearly lying.

"Really?" she asked, eyes glinting with newly found excitement, not noticing that he barely had anything in his bags. "Well c'mon then, let's go!" she said, once again running off ahead of him. He caught himself laughing at her childlike enthusiasm as he found himself reminded of someone else he knew who always wanted to get home to "watch his favorite show". Without further delay, he ran after her, making his best attempt to catch up with her.

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><p>"It'll start soon, Makoto! You don't wanna' miss it, do ya'?" she asked enthusiastically, voice bubbling over with joy. Labrys was all bundled up in Makoto's bed, watching the TV on the wall in front of her as some commercials panned by. Her boyfriend, however, was running about the kitchen, preparing himself snacks for the two-hour Featherman marathon. The pilot episode and the second one were both an hour long, so he needed to find a way to bear with it for a while. He'd watched the show, but never really considered himself a huge fan. He watched it to spend time with Ken back in high school, and that was about it.<em>I doubt I'll even stand what's going on. <em> _  
><em>

He sat down on the side of the bed, swinging his legs over as Labrys squealed with excitement. "Isn't this just gonna' be the most fun ever?"

"You bet," he said half-sarcastically, to which he received a playful chop on the head, eliciting a laugh from both of them.

"C'mon, I'm sure it's not as bad as you remember." After he worked his way under the covers, she snuggled up against him, resting her head in the crook of his neck in the position she'd grown oh-so familiar with. She felt his warmth up against her side, growing more comfortable by the second.

"I'm sure," he said, with a chuckle as he popped some popcorn into his mouth.

"Uh, Makoto. . ." Labrys cleared her throat (despite not needing to) and continued onward. "I-I just, uh . . . I-I wanted to thank you for spendin' time with me today. I know you're a busy guy, and you've got stuff to do, but . . . I-I guess I'm just tryin' to say it means a lot to me that you're blowin' it all off to spend time with me."

"Are you kidding?" he said, before kissing the top of her head. "There's no where I'd rather be right now."

A bright red flush made its way to Labrys's cheek as she sunk further into his side, an embarrassed smile growing across her face. "L-Let's just watch the show, yeah?"

"Alright," said Makoto, as the annoyingly catchy Featherman theme music came on. _This is gonna' be a long two hours. _

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><p>"That was amazing!" said Labrys as the credits of the second episode drew to a close. Her enthusiasm hadn't quite yet died down. "I mean, the special effects were so cool, and the fight scenes were awesome! Don't you think so?" she asked, bouncing up and down on the bed with enthusiasm. She mirrored a five year old who'd just seen an action movie for their first time. He found himself marveling at her sweet innocence.<p>

"Yeah, it was pretty cool." Truth be told, Makoto had probably seen (and done, for that matter) more impressive things than that back in Tartarus. While he did have to give credit to Yukari for doing her own stunts, the rest of the cast was pretty sub-par. Still, that didn't stop the innocent Labrys from idolizing them.

"So who's your favorite ranger, Makoto?" asked Labrys, pressing the power button on the TV remote as she rolled over. "I like the pink one. She's so cool!"

"I wonder why," said Makoto, as he rolled over in the bed to face her face. The pink on her cheeks rose almost immediately. "I'm sure Yukari would be glad to hear that. I guess I think the red one is cool."

"Yeah, he's pretty reliable, don't you think? Just like you, I guess." She teasingly smiled, bopping his nose with one of her metal digits. "Everyone tells me what a good leader you were."

"I guess. . ." he said, nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders. He never liked to view his actions in Tartarus as accolades.

"Well, regardless, I'm just glad you're here now." She pulled him closer for a quick kiss, savoring the feeling of his lips on hers, before reluctantly drawing back. "I'm gonna' take a quick nap if that's okay. Try not to miss me too much, alright?"

"I'll see what I can do."

"See? You're so reliable," she said, rolling over and shutting her eyes. "I'm glad we could do this today."

She heard him roll over, as he wrapped an arm around her back and drew himself closer to her. "Me too," he whispered in her ear, pulling her even closer, enveloping her in his warmth.

Her face grew slightly flushed as she realized what position they were in. Her back was firmly pressed against his front, without so much as a crevasse separating them. They were in complete unison, fitting together like two pieces of a puzzle. She felt her heart warm up at the thought of this having been meant to happen, of being constructed to perfectly fit together with him. "U-Uh, Makoto. . . D-Don't you think you're a little close, y'know?"

"Are you uncomfortable?" he asked, drawing her slightly closer, if that was possible. His breathy whispers in her ear sent tingles through her entire being. "I can move if you want."

"N-No, it's okay. . . I-I just thought it might be uncomfortable for you, because of the whole. . ." She cleared her throat, not wanting to mention her insecurities about being a robot.

"You know I've never minded," he whispered, kissing her neck affectionately as he hugged her as warmly as he could.

"A-Are you sure? 'C-Cause I can get a little sharp down there. . ."

"Shh." That was the last sound he made. She squealed a little bit internally, her excitement and embarrassment getting the best of her. Despite the fact that she was metal, despite the fact that she was cold, he managed to make her feel warm and human. She wiggled around a bit to get more comfortable, embracing the position, and let herself drift to sleep, enjoying the warm sensation of the man behind her, accepting her in her entirety.

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><p><strong>AN: Yaaaay chapters! Who doesn't love those? No one. Psshhhhhh. I hope you liked this chapter! It was a little short, but it was pretty fun to write and stuff and yeaaah. These last few prompts have been difficult, but the next one should be pretty fun! It's just "doing something together" (how vague), so I can do anything I want! How fun. **

**Favorite if it's your favorite! Review if you want me to be happy or want to criticize the story (please criticize if you think there's stuff I can fix! I wanna' get beeetter). Follow if I ran out of things to say about following stuff so just follow if you wanna read more. Yay! **


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Yay, super late! I hope nobody got turned off from reading by how late this update is. I've had a lot of stuff in the work and I needed for inspiration to strike so I could finish this! It's inspiration's fault, not mine! Okay, but srsly, I'm going to try harder. Hold me to that! **

**I hope you enjoy this one. Prompt is "doing something", so I made the "something" a New Year's festival. Yay! Enjoy. **

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><p>"3. . . 2. . . 1!"<p>

The sound of fireworks and celebration sounded around their circle as they themselves set off sparklers and other such fireworks. The night sky lit up as many groups, not unlike this one, started celebrating the coming of the new year. The street outside the shrine was drenched in snow, and all the members of the Shadow Operatives and Ex-members of SEES were gathered around, bundled up tightly. Even Tatsumi Port Island wasn't immune to the cold. As soon as they finished the count down, Junpei shouted to the skies.

"Yeah! Happy new year, everybody!" said Junpei, cheeks tinted slightly red. He was either cold, or had a little too much to drink. Makoto was betting on both.

Mitsuru nodded, eyes closed solemnly. "Yes, yet another year has come to pass. Time flies, doesn't it, Akihiko? It feels like just yesterday we were graduating from Gekkoukan."

He clenched his fist and grinned. "Yep. It's another great year for training!" A short burst of laughter spread throughout the circle at his protein craze.

"But still, I think we can really appreciate these things," continued Yukari. "After all, would the new year really even be happening if it wasn't for us?"

Junpei's grin had the magnitude of a thousand exploding suns. "Yeah, we're heroes! So we should get to celebrate a little extra, huh?"

"Of course, Junpei, but don't neglect your responsibilities." _Leave it to Mitsuru to bring up responsibilities on the holiday. . ._Makoto sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he thought about the amount of work he had to catch up on. But today wasn't the day to worry about it. He looked at the woman to his right, her attention directed to the sky. He caught the familiar look of "childlike wonder and fun", as he described it, on her face as she stared into the skies. _I hope this is a memorable experience for her. _

"So this is your first new year's festival, right, Labrys?" said Fuuka, bringing attention to the mechanical maiden.

Labrys barely managed to distract herself from the fireworks and festivities to look toward Fuuka, nodding once. Her eyes brightened with each explosion of color in the night sky. "Yup. I'm really glad I get to spend New Year's with everyone. . ." she said, tightening her grip on the hand of the blue-haired man to her left. They exchanged a loving glance, before returning their attention to the rest of the circle.

"We should go to the shrine tomorrow!" suggested Ken. "Koromaru really wants to go."

"Are you sure it's just him that wants to go?" asked Junpei, wrapping an arm around Ken's shoulder teasingly.

"Stop teasing Ken-kun, Stupei. After all, even he has better luck with girls than you do." Yukari laughed, echoed by most everyone in the circle.

"H-Hey, I resent that!" said Junpei, cheeks growing even redder. As the lively circle continued discussing around them, Makoto looked towards Labrys and savored what he saw. The bursts of happiness every time someone made a joke, or a firework exploded, were jam-packed with pure joy. This was her first real New Year's she got to spend with everyone, so Makoto wanted to make it special for her.

"Want to go to the shrine tomorrow?" he asked in a hushed tone. "Together. " She looked towards him, cheeks dusted with a light blush.

"S-Sure. I think it sounds like fun. . ." She grinned, wrapping her hand around his, even tighter. "I'm really glad we get to spend new years together."

Makoto nodded, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. Labrys's light blush grew a far deeper red as he did so, but the rest of their circle was too distracted to have noticed.

"G-Guys, I really don't think that's necessary!" Junpei raised his hands defensively, and Labrys took a quick look around to see what was going on. Everyone in the circle had prepared a snowball, and was looking rather intently at Junpei. "This is a brand new jacket! C'mon, Makoto! You gotta' help me out!"

The blue haired boy remained silent, curious as to what would happen. "Betrayal! It stings!" said Junpei, melodramatically.

"Fire!" yelled Yukari as every unoccupied hand in the circle threw a snowball at Junpei. They collided with his jacket and even he let out a loud and hearty laugh, planning his revenge.

"Oh, that is _it _Yuka-tan, I'm gonna' get you!" he slyly grinned as he leaned over to pick up his own ammunition. He flung the first snowball towards Yukari. What had started as a unified front had devolved into a free-for-all.

Fuuka landed one directly in Akihiko's face, laughing playfully. "Alright, Mitsuru, I won't hold back!" he said, starting to gather ammunition.

"Honestly. . . You'd think you're all still in primary school." However, even Mitsuru changed her tune after Akihiko nailed her, joining in the fight.

"C'mon, Koromaru!" The street had turned into a battle ground, even Ken and Koromaru participating.

Makoto looked towards Labrys. It was clear what the two had to do.

Naturally, they joined in.

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><p>The following morning, Makoto stood outside the shrine in the same place they'd had their little snowball spat. The war scars were still there. The glory was eternal.<p>

So was Junpei's shame.

He was waiting for Labrys to get there so they could have their New Year's date before everyone else got to the shrine. The anticipation was killing him. While he knew Labrys wasn't always the type for that sort of thing, there was the firm suspicion in the back of his head that Yukari might talk her into it. And if so, his day would be a very good one.

"Heya', Makoto!" said Labrys, shuffling towards him.

His expectations weren't for naught.

As it was a festival day, Labrys was donned in a pink yukata with a white floral pattern. She'd replaced her regular ponytail holder with a ceremonial kanzashi, further accentuating the traditional look. He silently celebrated as he waved hello to her, now totally adamant that she looked good in absolutely everything. Despite the fact that he knew who this was, she emanated a traditional aura that he could only define as heart-warming.

"Hi," he said, thoroughly looking over her in the yukata.

"Hey. . ." She prodded the snow with her sandals, the blush on her cheek growing stronger almost instantly. "Uh, I know I must look kinda' silly in this, but I really wanted to wear it. . . After all, it's a festival, and Yukari said that people really like this stuff, so I wanted to try. . . Besides, I thought maybe you'd like it. . ."

"You look great." He smiled gently as her cheeks burned even brighter.

"O-Oh. . . Thanks!" Despite her embarrassment, it was evident the compliment meant a lot to her. "R-Right. Well, let's go in, shall we?" She held her hand out to him, which he accepted, as they walked into the snow-ridden shrine. "Last night was a ton of fun, huh?" she asked, looking around their battleground. "Everybody got pretty wild. It's nice to see even Mitsuru and Akihiko have a playful side to them."

"Even they can cut loose sometimes," he said, as they approached the main shrine.

"Yeah. It's really nice to see everyone do that. . . We've really got a buncha' great friends, don't we?" She smiled one of those genuine smiles that could melt the biggest glacier in the world.

"Mhm." Makoto looked toward the shrine. _What to wish for. . ._

"So, what do we do now? We pray for somethin', right? What we want in the new year?" She looked toward the shrine, stroking her chin with curiosity.

"Pretty much." He parted hands with her and gestured ahead. "Shall we?"

"Let's," she said with a smile. Several moments of silence passed as the couples made their wishes for the new year. After what felt like quite a while, Labrys looked up and turned to Makoto. "Alright, all done." She smiled, the blush on her cheeks even more intense than before. "I wished to stay with all my friends this year, and for all of us to happy. . . E-Especially you," she said. "I want us to be happy. . . I-I. . ." She interrupted herself, clearing her throat. Dismissing the thought, she asked, "Did you make a nice wish? What'd you wish for?"

"I want all our friends to be happy and stay together this year."

"Aww, that's so sweet. I hope your wish comes true."

He nodded, smiling at the innocent girl in front of him. "Do you want to draw fortunes?"

"Uh, sure. It's New Years, so we'll probably be pretty lucky, right?" The duo started to walk towards the box. "I'm sure we'll get something good."

Labrys drew hers first. "Great Fortune! See, I told you we'd be lucky. Let's see, the romance section says. . . 'Your destined partner is right in front of you'." She chuckled. "It's not that far off, huh?" She grinned, now in even higher spirits. "C'mon, draw your fortune! I wanna' see what you get."

Makoto inhaled deeply, reaching for the slip of paper. He pulled it out, unfurled it. . .

_Curse. _

He let out a sigh of disappointment as Labrys raised her eyebrow. "What was it?"

"Great Fortune," he said, putting the fortune into his back pocket. _Better at least keep her in a good mood. _

"See? We're both gonna' be lucky this year!" She smiled, completely oblivious to his actual fortune. The pair walked towards the center of the shrine, Makoto dispelling the negativity his fortune had brought upon him with a simple glimpse at the girl accompanying him. "I'm really glad we could do this today. . . I know it woulda' been fun with everyone else, too, but I'm really glad I got to spend this moment with you. . ." She took his hands in hers, averting her eyes in embarrassment. "I really hope this year can be as fun as the last. . . S-So you've gotta' live up to that, alright? That's your responsibility!"

He smiled, patting her atop the head as he so often did. "Don't worry. I will."

"A-Alright. . . I'm holdin' you to that," she said, the red glow on her cheeks refusing to die down. "U-Uh. . . I know it's kinda' sudden, but. . . I-I love ya'." She smiled one of those embarrassed, yet genuine smiles only Labrys was capable of producing.

"Love you, too," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Let's spend lots of time together this year."

"O-Of course!" Labrys looked up at him, before hesitantly bringing her lips to his. The couple shared a passionate kiss, dispelling the cold weather from their systems as the warmth from each other spread through their bodies. Eventually, the couple reluctantly broke apart, as Labrys nervously took a few steps back. "Th-thanks for comin' with me today. I had loads of fun."

"No problem. I did, too. But. . ." He looked at the time on his phone, then glanced to the entrance of the shrine. "Where do you think everyone else is? They should be here by now. . ."

"I dunno'," remarked Labrys. "Maybe they got caught up in somethin'?"

"C'mon, you've got to want it!" shouted a familiar voice.

"Akihiko-senpai, I don't want it!" said yet another distinct one.

"C'mon, Stupei, try your best!" That one was clearly Yukari.

_Yep. That's them. _

The lively group crashed into the shrine, several of them sweating and panting heavily. "Alright, that was a nice training session, guys. We'll do it again on the way back!"

"Akihiko-senpai, how can you be so cruel!?" protested Junpei. "I haven't run that much since Tartarus. . ."

Labrys grinned, joining the discussion within the lively group. Makoto simply stood back, watching all the people he loved gathered into one place. The woman he loved and all his closest friends and allies, all joined up together to make one of the liveliest groups in the world. With Labrys and everyone else around. . .

_How could this year not be great?_

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><p><strong>AN: Woo, complete! That one was a lot of fun. I kind of like the open ended prompts! They let me be super creative. Aaanyways. I'm sorry if I don't get to update that much (you know how it is, finals weeks, other stuff) But I've been writing a TON of stuff lately and I've got more stories than this to work on! Currently working on making a compilation of one-shots based around Persona Q! So be on the look out for that. Don't worry, I won't neglect this one! **

**Favorite and review if it's your favorite! Follow. just shhhhh. doooo eeeeet. **

**See you next time! **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Yay, another chapter! How's everyone doing? We doing well?**

**Audience: "You suck." **

**Well, I'm glad you think so! Time flies, huh? To think I only have 10 or 11 prompts left to go. Still, I hope you like this one. Enjoy! **

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><p><em>This can only end one way. <em>Labrys was sitting in Makoto's apartment, evaluating two outfits compared side-by-side. She'd narrowed it down from her original selection, but now that she'd done so she was having difficulty making the final choice. _They're both so nice, but . . . C'mon, Labrys, just pick one! How hard can it be, it's just two dresses. It's not like Makoto takes hours to pick out his tie. . . So just do it! _

Of course, she was never going to get that done. After all, she _was _a girl. Girls don't get that kind of stuff done so quickly, did they? At least, Yukari told her so. Fashion was important after all, especially on a night like this.

Once again, it was one of those rare occurrences that Labrys looked forward to so much; it was date night! Makoto was usually pretty busy, so apart from just hanging out, Labrys hardly had any time with just him, all to herself, in a romantic setting. She enjoyed just spending time with him in a casual environment, but there wasn't a girl in the world who didn't want to go on romantic evening escapades with their lover, as far as she knew. So naturally, when Makoto proposed the idea, she accepted with haste, even if the subject material of the date really wasn't her cup of tea. Makoto had tried to suggest otherwise, but they were going to one of those fancy foreign restaurants to have some elegant and classy food, even if Labrys couldn't eat any of it. He wanted to change it, in favor of her enjoyment, but she wanted him to have fun, so she went along with the idea. Besides, the atmosphere could be nice. _And I'll get to see Makoto all dressed up. This should be fun! _

As Labrys hummed a happy tune whilst waiting for her Prince Charming, he walked out of his makeshift changing quarters (the closet) and brushed some of his hair to the side with his hand, only for it to fall atop his right eye again. Labrys giggled slightly as he sighed. "Why don'tcha' just get a haircut?"

". . . Meh," was his only response as Labrys chuckled. He sat down next to her, and she took a moment to examine what he was wearing. Despite his hatred for such clothing, saying he didn't clean up nicely would be a definite understatement. It was akin to something he'd normally wear, but the bow tie was replaced by a dark grey one and his hair was brushed in a more orderly fashion than usual. Combine that with his dapper black suit, and he looked quite dashing. Even if he looked kind of unhappy with it.

"You look really nice," she said, teasingly poking his cheek. "But if you didn't wanna' dress up, we coulda' gone somewhere else."

"Hey, you wanted to go here as much as I did," he said with a laugh. "Besides, I figured you'd enjoy yourself. . . And in my case, even my cooking gets old eventually." He smiled gently, before standing up and looking at his watch, which he put on specifically to look fancy. "I've got to have some good food sometimes. Anyways, we're going to be late."

"Well, aren't you just as punctual as usual?" Labrys giggled a little as she hopped up from the bed and linked arms with her gentleman companion, cuddling against his side with a smile. The duo walked out of the door, looking like an all-dressed-up couple from a classical western movie, both expectant of a pleasant evening.

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><p>Makoto's evening started out less pleasant than he had initially expected. At least, the check was less pleasant than he hoped.<p>

He found himself staring at the menu, eyes wide at the prices listed in front of him. _That's way too much for food, _he thought, as he weighed priorities in his head. _Such small portions. . . __If I get anything more than an appetizer, I might have to drop a game or two for the month. . . _His internal debate continued.

The woman across from him giggled quietly at his evident frustration, finding his irritation to be somewhat cute. As usual, she was fascinated by seeing Makoto in ways she normally didn't get to, and frustration was one of those moods she didn't often see from the cool, collected gentleman. Still, for his sake, she decided to strike up a conversation. "This place is busy, huh? I'm surprised you managed to get a reservation."

"Yeah, Mitsuru's pretty big with this place. Apparently she frequents it. . . She moved me up on the list." Makoto decided on purchasing simply a small appetizer, finally concluding that MMOs outweighed his culinary desires.

"The atmosphere in here just makes me feel all fancy like. . ." She looked around at the velvet-draped room, red curtains and glass chandeliers adorning everything. "I almost feel out of place. . ."

Makoto raised an eyebrow, cracking a sly smile. "You're probably the fanciest thing in this room, in more ways than one."

This elicited a laugh from Labrys. "Oh, stop, you're gonna' make me blush. Flattery will get you no where," she said. "You picked what you're gonna' eat yet?"

"Uh, yeah." Makoto cleared his throat as he internally cringed at the pricey menu in front of him. "I hope it's worth it. . ."

"C'mon, I'm sure it'll be fine. They couldn't charge that much if it didn't taste good, y'know?" Labrys looked around at some of the food selections, all of which at least _looked _relatively appetizing, as far as she could tell. She ignored the slight twang of envy she felt and directed her attention back to Makoto, managing to ignore it as the smile came back to her face. _As long as I'm here with Makoto, nothin' can be too bad. . ._ She let her chin rest in her palms as she continued admiring him.

"Guess so." Makoto cracked a grin and placed his order as the waiter passed by, bringing each of them a glass of water. It was somewhat awkward to make up a reason as to why Labrys wasn't eating, but their server didn't question it, so it was all well.

The pair chatted idly for a while as Makoto waited for his food. "So how'd you get enough money to afford this, anyway, Makoto? A reservation for two ain't cheap, especially at a place like this."

"I've been saving for a rainy day," he said, taking a sip of his water.

"Aww, you'd spend your rainy day money on me?" Labrys laughed a little, to disguise the blush rapidly arising to her cheeks. "That's so sweet."

He smiled gently back at her, and she found herself in an almost intoxicated state brought on by the man in front of her. Makoto was charming even in his regular attire, or dressed in pajamas, having just rolled out of bed, but this was on another level entirely. The shows Yukari made her watch, featuring suave, handsome men in tuxes saving damsels in distress; Makoto easily looked like he could fit the role of one of those handsome men. And she didn't mind it at all.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" he asked jokingly as Labrys's eyes darted away.

"Uh, no. . . I was just gonna' say you look . . . uh, really handsome tonight." She struggled to maintain eye contact, feeling her cheeks warming ever so slightly.

"Really? I thought I looked kinda' silly. . ." He pulled on his collar, before smiling a little. "I'm glad you like it."

His smile managed to melt its way into her heart, as it usually did. _Darn, am I ever gonna' get used to it? _Even in her fantasies, Makoto rendered her speechless.

"Yeah, o'course. I look kinda' weird, though. . ." She tugged on her skirt, kind of wishing she was in her normal Yasogami high uniform.

"You look beautiful," he said, coolly sipping his water as if he hadn't said anything. Labrys's cheeks flushed even brighter.

"Th-Thanks," she said, feeling her heart warm up a little bit as she received the compliment. _Aww, he always knows what to say. . ._ she thought to herself, as Makoto's food was delivered. He thanked the waiter and began to eat, as the duo idly chatted through the remainder of their dining experience.

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><p>"That was a lot of fun, Makoto," said Labrys as they walked out from the front of the restaurant, Makoto's coffer significantly lightened. "Who knew you could be such a gentleman?" She tried to hide the powdery blush on her cheeks by placing her head in the crook of Makoto's neck as the pair walked through the street.<p>

"Yeah, but this suit is killing me. . ." He took a deep breath. "Maybe we should've waited for it to get colder to do this. . . Kinda' hot."

"Oh, I guess so, huh?" Labrys snuggled further up against Makoto's side, without a real excuse. She just wanted to. "Still, I'm really glad we did this. . . We never get to spend time together, huh. . ."

Makoto frowned a little, leaning his head atop hers. "Sorry."

"Nah, I know you try your best, and work is important. . . Which is why we gotta' make nights like this count, y'know?" Labrys grinned as she pulled away from Makoto ever so slightly, her smile indicating an idea. "So, what do ya' say? You wanna' hit Paulownia Mall? We don't have to go home juuust yet, do we?" she asked, in an innocent voice.

He looked at his watch, before his smile returned. "I guess we don't. We could hit the arcade."

"Sounds like a lotta' fun, don't you think? I'm not lettin' you outta' this that easy," she said, before grabbing his hand to lead him onward as she started to rush to the station. "C'mon, we gotta' catch the soonest train!"

Running wasn't on his agenda in this suit, but the arcade did sound like a lot of fun. So he accepted his fate of getting more exercise than he planned to get and ran behind her, a warm smile forming on his face.

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><p>"Hah, I beat you this time!' said Labrys as she walked out of the arcade, Makoto following closely behind her.<p>

"Yeah, you got me," he said, putting his hands up defensively. True to her words, in just about every game they'd played Labrys had bested him.

"Heheh, now you can't make fun of me anymore. I won this time, which means I get a reward!" She crossed her arms proudly in the plaza of the mall, practically barren at this late time of night.

"What would you like?" he said, bowing respectfully to her to play along with her joke.

"Hmm. . ." She smiled, shaking her head slowly. "Tonight was a big enough reward, I guess. Buuuut, as an _extra _reward, we're gonna' go back to your place and play s'more games. And you've gotta' keep the suit on."

He sighed a little. "Really?"

"Yeah, you look cute." She hopped up on the tips of her feet and planted a kiss on his cheek. "That's what you get for losing!" she said, as they started the walk back to his apartment. "Maybe if you get better next time, _you'll _get the reward." She grinned, thoroughly enjoying her opportunities to tease him.

"Well I guess I just won't go easy on you next time," he said, putting his hands into his pockets nonchalantly.

"Wh- No way!" she said, as her blue-haired companion laughed affectionately.

The blissful happiness emanating from the two of them seemed to come from their own little world. Any observer could remark as to how happy the mechanical maiden and her Prince Charming were, and it was safe to assume that they could stay that way forever.

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><p><strong>AN: Woo! Update. Those are always a good time.**

**I want to thank allllll my loyal readers (all 22 of you!) and allllll the people who've reviewed this far. I try to take comments to heart and make everything better for everyone, but you just can't please them all, so I'd like to thank everyone who has stayed here for sticking with me and supporting my foolish foolish hobbies. I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season! I've got a bit of a Holiday special planned, so keep an eye out for that.**

**Thanks again! Favorite and review if it's your favorite! Follow if you want. Next prompt is DANCING. That should be fun. I have some ideas for that one, so be on the look out for more! **


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Greetings, friends! I hope you all had a fantastic Holiday season! I bet you did. I know I did! Anyways, back to our somewhat-kind-of-not-really-regularly-scheduled updates! I know you're just dying to read this chapter!**

**Audience: "You suck." **

**Why, thank you, my loyal readers! Can you believe I've only got ten more to go? I might keep writing even after I run out of prompts if I have any good ideas. Until I reach a nice conclusion, anyway. Let me know what you think in the reviews section! Anyways, Today's prompt is "dancing". Enjoy! **

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><p>Makoto sat at the bar with relative disinterest in the events playing out around him, simply downing the next drink the bartender shot his way. Non-alcoholic, of course. He still had work in the morning.<p>

"Your friend over there is pretty lively, huh?" said the bartender, looking out at the baseball-cap wearing young man out in the crowd that had brought Makoto here.

"Perhaps a little too lively," he said with some light laughter.

Junpei had insisted they spend their Sunday afternoon at Club Escapade, "partying the night away". His motivation for the event was that his team had actually _won _a game, so he wanted to celebrate his success as a coach. Since Makoto was _clearly _the life of the party, Junpei had him come along. For the most part, it was the usual; whenever they went to Club Escapade, Junpei would hopelessly hit on some random stranger girls for the enjoyment of it and Makoto would sit at the bar and listen to the music. The club didn't necessarily play bad stuff, after all. Sometimes it was annoying though.

"Man, you've got to get in on the fun!" said the enthusiastic (and slightly tipsy) Junpei Iori that sat down next to him. Makoto glanced towards his happy friend, who was evidently having a great time. "Everybody enjoys a good night at the club!" Junpei raised his hand and asked the bartender for a drink, and he obliged.

"It's loud," he said, far louder than he'd usually speak. It was necessary to be heard, though. On a night like this, with the club so crowded, the music was pretty loud to make up for it.

"That's the best part!" Junpei laughed uncharacteristically loud before his attention was turned to the door. "Hey, man, the girls are here!"

Makoto's interest was slightly caught by this sentence, so he turned towards the door. To his surprise, Yukari, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Aigis, and most importantly, Labrys, were at the door. "You invited them?" he asked in a monotone, taking another sip of his drink. _Perhaps this night will be interesting after all. _

"O'course I did! It's a celebration, man! Paaarty!" He really was in the mood. He downed the rest of his drink and stood up to go greet the girls. Naturally, with nothing better to do, Makoto joined him. Hands in his pockets, he walked behind Junpei and approached the entrance to the club.

"Hey, Yuka-tan! Good to see you came!" he said enthusiastically, trying to snag a hug. Naturally, that didn't work.

"Quiet, Stupei. I only came because I wanted Aigis and Labrys to have a good time." She smiled at the previously mentioned party of mechanical maidens. "Oh, but I didn't know you were here, Makoto. Maybe this'll be more fun than I thought."

As the attention was drawn to him, Makoto waved at his group of friends in front of him with his eyes on one person in particular. "Hey," he said, directed to that person.

"Hey, Makoto," replied Labrys. "Nobody told me you'd be here," she said, a blush now fanning her cheeks. "If I'd known you were here, I woulda' worn somethin' nicer. . ." She looked down at the plain white shirt she was wearing, with a plain black skirt and plain black tights to match. Evidently, she hadn't planned for her boyfriend to be present.

"I could say the same," he replied with a smile, which she reciprocated. He leaned in to plant a quick kiss on her cheek, to which she responded by blushing even harder.

"Alright, why don't we leave the two lovebirds alone?" said Yukari in a slightly teasing tone. Junpei cracked a wide smile and slugged Makoto in the shoulder, before their friends vacated the premises and headed over to the bar.

"Geez. . . That's never gonna' get any less embarrassing, is it?" She smiled a little, her blush slowly fading away as she got more comfortable now that their friends had left. "Still, I didn't take you for the club type. Never thought you'd be into such a loud environment," she said, grinning widely at him.

"I'm only here because Junpei asked me to come." He shrugged his shoulders, looking around the crowded club. "You're right, though. I'm not really the club type."

"I thought so. Kinda' why I didn't expect to see you here. did anybody else come?"

"Nope."

"Huh. Well, I guess that means we can have some fun, just the two of us?" She grinned, hopping up on her tip-toes to plant a quick peck on his lips. Afterwards, she cleared her throat, before looking around. "But, uh, what exactly are you s'posed to do at clubs? Yukari-san said something about getting drinks and talking to strangers, but I can't really do either of those things. Not well, anyway."

"Well, that's about it. Some people dance, but. . ." He looked around uncomfortably, deciding not to finish that sentence.

Labrys, however, had a new goal now. "Oh, so you're gonna' dance?" she asked in a teasing tone. "Well I wanna' see that."

"I don't really dance. I've never done it before." True, much like anyone else, he'd done it once or twice, but he wasn't confident in his skills. Especially in front of his girlfriend.

"Pretty please? I'm sure everybody else wants to see it, too," she said, smiling infectiously. As usual, he found himself crumbling at the sight of that smile. It always managed to coax whatever it wanted out of the blue haired boy, despite whatever resistance he put up. "And I _really_ want to see it. So please?"

He sighed and put a hand on his forehead. "Fine, fine," he said reluctantly. Labrys celebrated quietly from her standing position.

"Yay!" Labrys jumped up once before wrapping her boyfriend into a hug. Her enthusiasm made the embarrassing display he was about to give slightly more tolerable.

"But only if you join me," he said, now smiling somewhat slyly. This time, it was Labrys's turn to be embarrassed.

"C'mon, you know I'd be no good at that kind of stuff." She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked around. The blue and pin lights pulsing across the walls of the club made her slightly uncomfortable. "Besides, there's so many people here. It'd be so embarrassing. . ."

All Makoto did was raise an eyebrow. "So it's okay for it to embarrass me, but not you?"

"Well, I guess I see your point. . . But. . ."

"Only if you join me," he said, his position on the matter clear. Labrys sighed, admitting defeat.

"Fine, fine. I'll join you," she said reluctantly. Slowly but surely, they made their way towards the dance floor, neither of them particularly excited to begin the exercise. Fortunately, it seemed all of their friends were away for now, so at least no one they knew would see them making complete and total fools of themselves. "So, uh, what do I do?" she asked, clearly confused. "I've never really known anything about dancing before."

"Well, I guess, just move the way the music makes you want to?" he said, as if quoting some movie he'd seen at the cinema back in high school. He was clearly no more sure of his actions than she was. In a way, it was kind of endearing, their total obliviousness to what to do. "Just listen to the song and . . . I don't know, move." He shook his arms lightly, snagging a laugh from Labrys.

"Just listen to the song and move, huh?" Labrys chuckled a little. "That doesn't sound too hard." She closed her eyes and decided to do as he said. _Just move. . . _

Makoto was quite surprised by what came next. After several seconds of her just standing there, she'd broken out into dance in a fashion he could describe somewhat similar to Elizabeth's enthusiasm for the "wild ritual". Her movements were almost intoxicating in their smoothness, as if she'd practiced the routine for hours beforehand. She captured the thumping beats of the club music in a way he honestly hadn't quite expected from her. _Does she have, like, a dancing patch or something? _It was almost impossible to believe the fluidly moving person in front of him wasn't flesh and blood. Then again, it almost always was.

She caught notice of his captivated stares and stuck her tongue out at him. "What's the matter? Aren't you gonna' dance?"

He cleared his throat a little, his already minuscule confidence dwindling. He had at least thought if they were both going to dance, they would _both _do horrible. Now he was just going to look stupid. He decided that a simple step from side to side and occasional arm movements would be enough to convince her that he was "dancing".

"Oh come on, Makoto," she said with a laugh. "I'd bet you've got more in you than that." She grabbed his arms and set them about moving, trying to get him to perform some more exuberant actions. Slowly but surely, his face curled into a smile, deciding he had nothing to lose. He, too, decided to get more into the dance. He still looked ridiculous without practice, but at least he was having fun. Many others on the dance floor looked at them, the energy they emitted clear to all as they danced throughout the night.

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><p>"Alright, now we're gonna' slooooow things down," said a voice over the microphone. "Grab that special someone and pull 'er tight, alright?" said the deep voice before the slow song started to play.<p>

Labrys cleared her throat and looked to Makoto. He, however, already knew what he was going to do. He pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest, rocking back and forth in an intoxicating motion.

"W-Whoa there. . . You don't waste any time, do ya'?" Labrys smiled nervously, the blush on her cheek forming quickly. She pulled back just enough to stare into his eyes, rocking back and forth alongside him.

"I don't like to, no." He pulled a hand up to his face to check the time. _Damn, it's late. We should be getting home soon. . ._ "Did you have fun tonight?"

She nodded slowly. "Tons of it. Who knew dancin' could be so fun? Even you seemed to be enjoyin' it." She laughed, poking a little bit of fun at him. "Even if you just looked a little ridiculous."

"How kind of you to say so," he said jokingly, once again causing her to giggle. "You know, you're a pretty good dancer."

"You think so? I've never tried before, so I was sure I looked ridiculous. . ." She blushed a little as he continued to compliment her.

"You were doing great. Just another amazing thing about you I've learned."

"Flattery will get you no where!" she said with a bright grin, poking at his nose. "This all makes me really happy. There's just so much to do in the big city, y'know?" She found herself staring into his eyes, pink glossing her cheeks as her blush grew deeper. "I-I wanna' do it all. With you, of course, but, uh. . ." She cleared her throat, trying to find a normal way to end that sentence. "I-I just hope we can keep doin' stuff together. W-We can, right?"

Makoto cupped a hand around her chin and pulled her face towards his, culminating the action with a long, tender kiss. He held his lips on hers for what felt like a very long time, as the music droned on in the background and all she focused on was him. These kind of kisses filled her with sparks that shot out of her ears and filled her heart with joy. She found herself relishing the feeling, reluctant to let go. Yet alas, he slowly pulled back, a warm smile on his face. "Don't worry."

She rested her face against his chest, feeling a smile of her own creep across her cheeks. "O'course." She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth with him, enjoying the moment to its fullest. Silence drifted over the duo as they rocked from side to side, simply enjoying the sensation of being next to one another. She felt her consciousness drifting away as the warmth of his chest pulled her in. . .

_Crunch. _

Labrys felt the strange sensation of something underneath her foot, as if something gave way beneath her. She looked up towards Makoto's whose face appeared to be frozen, and then down to the ground.

She'd just placed all of her weight on top of Makoto's foot.

"O-Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" she said, quickly stepping back. She bumped into someone and apologized, but her attention was more directed towards her boyfriend at the moment. "U-Uh, is it okay?"

He bit his lower lip and nodded his head, which was a clear indicator he was not, in fact, okay. The pain seeping up from his foot was nothing compared to the happiness he was feeling at the moment, though. That night truly was a special one that he got to spend with the girl he loved. Even if it did potentially break his foot.

"It was worth it."

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><p><strong>AN: Yaaaaaaay. That one was pretty fun! The holidays kept me busy, what with shopping and utilizing the things I got from others, but I finally cranked this one out! I hope you enjoyed it. Favorite if it's your favorite, review if you want, all that stuff. Stay beautiful. Next prompt is cooking/baking. Ooooooh. Stay tuned! **


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Hiiiiii audience! Wow. This one is, like, beyond the reasonable amount of late. Not gonna' lie, I really don't have an excuse other than solid writer's block. This prompt kicked me around (also, winter break is over, so I got roped back into the whole 'life' thing) like a ragdoll, so I had a lot of work to do! But it's finally done, and I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

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><p>"Hey, Makoto?" asked Labrys as they walked into his apartment, after a long day at work. Nothing special had happened, but Makoto was still relatively tired. Of course, as she always did, his girlfriend had offered to accompany him. He was bored, and she was bored, so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to solve both their problems. Of course, it was an excuse to hang out with Makoto, too, so there was that. On the way home, they discussed ideas for what to do, but with no luck. They were having a bit of difficulty trying to pick something to do. Makoto, of course, just wanted a nap, but he decided to humor her for now.<p>

"What is it?" he asked, kicking his shoes off by the door.

She cleared her throat, trying to disguise her embarrassment as she asked the question. "Uh, d'ya think maybe, sometime, you could . . . uh . . . teach me a little about cooking?" She scratched her cheek as she spoke, glancing away. _I hope that didn't sound too random. . ._

Makoto raised an eyebrow at the prospect. "Uh, sure, but why?" It was a question completely out of left field. They'd never even discussed cooking, let alone dabbled in it together.

"I dunno', I just . . . kinda' wanted to learn how to cook, y'know? It might be useful sometime. . ." She tried her best to disguise her blush and ask normally. Truth be told, the only reason she was asking was because she wanted to be able to make things for Makoto from time to time. He had to work almost all day, and then to top it off he had to do all the housekeeping too. Anything to lessen his load sounded like a good idea to her.

"I guess so." He shrugged, walking towards the kitchen. He pulled his jacket off and threw it towards the chairs in the center of the room. "How about right now?"

"R-Right now?" she asked, a little taken back. She hadn't really planned on him saying yes, let alone offering right now. Regardless, her face curled into a wide smile, whether she was aware of it or not. "Uh, I guess we can do it now," she said, trying to fake aloofness. "What're we going to make?" she asked, approaching the kitchen as well.

"Hmm. . . What sounds fun?" he asked, opening up a cupboard. "I've got a few ingredients laying around. . ."

"Ooh, how about a cake?" said Labrys excitedly. Her eyes glittered at the idea. Evidently, she had quite a high opinion of it. She had a perfect cake pictured in her brain; western style, three-layer cake, with white frosting, and strawberries all across the top of it. . . _I bet that'd be delicious! _she thought, completely entranced.

"That's baking, but I guess we could try. . ." Makoto took a moment to gather some ingredients, before nodding a couple times.

"See? We've got all the stuff for it, let's do it! I'm sure it'll taste awesome! O'course, you gotta' be the taste tester." She giggled infectiously, causing Makoto to smile as well.

"I've never made a cake before, so why not try?" He grinned.

"Alright!" Labys planted a quick kiss on her boyfriend's cheek, practically bouncing with excitement. "What do we gotta' do first?"

"I guess we'll preheat the oven. . ." Makoto scratched the back of his head, pulling out his phone. "Let me look up some directions. . ."

"Oh, c'mon, how hard can it be?" She walked towards the oven, and turned the temperature up as high as it could go. "I bet I can do this without looking at the directions, who needs 'em?" She laughed a little, her excitement getting the better of her as Makoto let out a nervous laugh.

Turns out, it was a lot harder than she thought.

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><p>Makoto opened the oven, blowing the smoke away as he coughed. "It burnt," he said, disappointment evident in his tone. The cake, intended to be light and fluffy, wound up brown and burnt. He silently saluted the wasted ingredients as the money he had spent on them metaphorically took flight from his wallet, into the beyond.<p>

"What? I coulda' sworn I got the time right! I set the oven to the right temperature, right?" she asked, looking over her work with disappointment. "I dunno' what coulda' happened. . ."

"I guess we'll just have to start over," he said, tossing the burnt one in the trash. He rolled up his sleeves and grabbed yet another mixing bowl for them to work with.

"Guess you're right." She let out a disappointed sigh at her failure. She had wanted to make the cake without Makoto's help, as if she was a prodigy of some kind, but it turned out she was going to need it anyways. _Guess you gotta' start from somewhere. . ._

"But hey, this is kinda' fun, don't you think?" She laughed a little, trying to dispel the gloomy mood. "At least, I'm havin' fun. Even if we messed up. . ." She threw the dirtied mixing bowl they'd used for the previous cake into the sink, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's neck from behind playfully.

"Yeah." He laughed, as he began to spray the pan they'd be using for this one. "But this time, let's use the directions, alright?"

"Okay," she said, trying to mock disappointment. She reluctantly let go of his neck, letting him go about working. She leaned over the pan, looking down into it with curiosity at his procedure. Whether he'd done it before or not, he clearly had a pretty clear vision of what the procedure was supposed to look like, at the very least. She found herself infatuated with her boyfriend's ability when it came to almost anything; work, combat, cooking. He really did have it all. _Even if he is ridiculously lazy._ "Anything I can do to help right now?"

"Nope," he said, flicking some flour onto her face jokingly as he spoke. She flinched backwards, before her face curled into a mischievous grin.

"I'm not gonna' let you get away with that one for free!" She intently scooped some flour from the large bag on the counter into her own hand and threw it at his chest, leaving behind a large white puff of smoke in the air as the flower found itself coating his dark blue shirt. Some of it wound up underneath his chin, making him look even paler than usual. He, too, grinned, and the flour fight began. He scooped some of the substance into both hands and dumped it out on top of her hair, to which she responded by hurling her own handful at his face. The fight continued for a good five minutes, each strike dirtier than the last. The white powder was scattered across the ground by the time they were done, and almost every inch of Makoto and his clothes was covered in white. It dusted his hair, his face, and all of his attire. Labrys was wearing white, so it wasn't as noticeable, but she, too, was drenched in flour.

Labrys was laughing madly, doubling over. "Makoto, you look ridiculous!"

"I could say the same to you," he said, dusting a little extra flour off of his face, grinning widely. "But let's actually get to work, alright?"

"You're just saying that because I won!" she said, standing on her tip toes and poking him in the nose with her finger. He grinned.

"Whatever you say. But we should finish soon."

"Alright, alright. But I totally won, no matter what you say!" she said, giggling the whole while as they set about actually cooking. The process was rather dysfunctional, as Labrys was more set on having fun than actually getting things done, but after several more spills and ingredient fights, the cake was finally in the oven.

"That was pretty fun!" Labrys let out a hearty laugh, dusting together her hands. "I did a good job for my first time, huh? Not including all of the mess."

"Well, if you want to be technical about it, your first time is in the trash." Makoto cracked a sly grin at his joke. Labrys, however, put on her pouty face.

"That probably wasn't even my fault." After her fair share of pouting, she hopped up on her tip toes and kissed her boyfriend's cheek. "Thanks for lettin' me make a mess of your kitchen. I had a really great time."

"So did I," he said, kissing her forehead. "I'm gonna' go get cleaned up. Keep a close eye on the cake, okay?"

"Alright, but don't take too long. I dunno' if I can take care of it all by myself!" she said, laughing as she spun around in the flour-filled kitchen, shaking some off of herself.

"I'll try, I'll try. But this'll take a while to clean up. . ." Makoto sighed regretfully as he entered the bathroom to get cleaned up.

* * *

><p>"So, how is it?" Labrys asked, as Makoto bit into their "masterpiece". In reality, it was a simple white cake with some plain frosting, nothing special, but she felt honored at having been involved in the process of making that little thing. <em>It's a lot harder than it looks, huh. . <em>. It was the first "successful" thing she'd made, after all.

Makoto nodded a few times as he registered the taste. Although the cake looked pretty bland, it tasted just like it should have. Maybe even a bit better than he was expecting. Labrys was practically shaking with anticipation, so he decided he shouldn't delay his answer any longer. "Pretty good." He gave her a thumbs up, skewering another piece of the fluffy cake with his fork and bringing it to his mouth.

Labrys jumped up into the air, both hands raised over her head. "Yes!" She jumped at him, arms wide open for a hug.

He just barely managed to avoid having the cake sent sailing through the air, while still managing to get the full enjoyment of the hug. Labrys had a joyful expression plastered to her face, looking up into Makoto's eyes. His heart warmed up every time he got to see that expression on her face. He felt his own warm smile forming, as he ate yet another forkful of the cake as casually as possible.

"I'm really glad you like it." Labrys stepped back, placing a hand on her hip. "I worked pretty hard on it, after all!"

"It paid off." Makoto planted a kiss on her forehead, before returning to eating the cake. A light blush dusted her cheeks as she looked at Makoto's expression. _I don't get to see him smile often enough. _He wasn't depressed or anything, but very rarely did he smile all-out, with pure joy in his eyes. Right now, that was all she wanted; to see those pure smiles, all the time.

"So from now on, can I make dinner for you?" she asked enthusiastically, bouncing up and down yet again.

Makoto chuckled. "Maybe once you've gotten a little bit more practice, you can start cooking dinner around the house."

"What? But I'm tootally a better cook than you right now!" Labrys faked being flustered, before both of them laughed.

"Sure, sure." Makoto took yet another fork filled with cake to his mouth, savoring the taste of a meal cooked by the woman he loved.

"Fine, fine. If you're not gonna' help, I'll just ask Fuuka-san!"

Makoto cringed a little. "D-Don't do that."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Woo! I liked that one enough. Not going to lie, it was really, REALLY hard to write. I was suffering a little bit of a writer's block through this one, but tonight I had a burst of inspiration and decided to finish it up! I really like what I did with it. I think it's pretty good! Of course, you can always tell me what _you _think in the review section! And, as always, review and favorite if it's your favorite! Follow because, I want you to! Isn't that a good enough reason? **

**Audience: "No."**

**The next prompt is in battle, side-by-side! Woo. I look forward to seeing you there!**


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